[boost] Serialization: using xml archives?

From: Oliver Kullmann (O.Kullmann_at_[hidden])
Date: 2005-06-09 11:25:48

Hello,

I want to build up a database of timing
results, and these timing results should
be stored in xml-files.

It seems that the only library in Boost providing
xml-functionality is the Serialization library.
Now in principle it could work fine:
Basically I could create a struct with string
tags describing the timing context, and a container with
the timing results; via serialisation I write it
to an xml-archive, and as additional bonus I also
can read it back.

However I have the following concerns:

1. The xml-archives must be human-readable.
2. The xml-archives should be also usable with
other xml applications.

Regarding 1., it seems that readability for the current output is
kind of alright --- but this doesn't seem to be guaranteed for the
future?

Brings me to point 2: It seems that the xml-format is not specified,
and thus is a kind of "proprietary file format", changed at will
with new releases --- is this the intention, or not?!

To me it would make perfect sense, that at least the xml-archives can
be used by other applications, and for that there should be a document
type definition (dtd) available for each archive, and furthermore the
general structure should be standardised.

But perhaps this is not intended for this library.
I would be glad for any comments.

Thanks!

Oliver