XML Sucks

"The essence of XML is this: the problem it solves is not hard, and it does not solve the problem well." -- Phil Wadler, POPL 2003

Quotes

"Most xml i've seen makes me think i'm dyslexic. it also looks constipated, and two health problems in one standard is just too much." -- Charles Forsyth on 9fans

"Some part of me desperately wants to believe that XML-RPC is some kind of elaborate joke, like a cross between Discordianism and IP Over Avian Carriers." -- Ex-Cyber on #plan9

"Any damn fool could produce a better data format than XML" -- James Clark 2007-04-06

Alexander Viro on linux-kernel mailing list:

> > Or even XML. Ouch! No need to throw things at me!
>
> It seems they would be thrown! XML in kernel is too much. OpenOffice and

They won't be thrown.  They will be slowly driven under the nails, so that
victim could experience the joy equal to that of dealing with XML.

"XML is simply lisp done wrong." -- Alan Cox

XSL-T

• XSLT is a failure wrapped in pain. There's no job for which XSLT is the right tool. If you think you found a job for which XSLT is a good tool, chances are the job itself is fucked up. -- masklinn

Alternatives

• Simple custom text formats
• sexprs
• csv
• json
• ndb(6)-like

See also

• The the evolution of language, from Descartes to the W3C.
• The Case Against XML by Kristofer J. Carlson.
• Xml Sucks, Xml Is Too Complex and Xml Isa Poor Copy Of Ess Expressions at the c2 wiki
• Sam Ruby's excellent presentation at devcon 2004. From the summary slide:
  • Layering is the problem, not the solution
  • You won't find reality in in any specification
  • Spec authors are responsible for the confusion that they create
• How XML Threatens Big Data.
• Http also sucks, but I will get to it some other time. And don't even bother to ask me to bash SOAP, too easy.