> -----Original Message-----
> From: Razvan MIHAIU [mailto:mihaiu@m...]
> Sent: Sunday, February 27, 2005 12:00 PM
> To: xml-dev@l...
> Subject: [xml-dev] Quiz: XML flexibility
>
>
> ...What I am really trying to understand is "what is flexibility" ?

Here is an example.

In the last week a client made a request to us based upon a request
to them made by a large insurance company.

The request from the insurance company was to provide monthly
sales summaries in Excel format.

Well it turns out that such a thing is a major pain for this particular
organisation. Mainly because they run a CRM system written in
dBase (yes, dBase IV!).

With a bit of quick twiddling, we were able to a) learn dbase enough
to output a text file and b) learn the microsoft xml excel format thing
enough to be able to produce the required spreadsheet.

Actually, we made and saved the spreadsheet from excel. And then
made dBase produce the exact same output (oops - hope we didn't
break somebodies patent - probably did - sorry).

Anyway, going from dBase to XML to Excel, is in my opinion a
pretty good example of flexibility.

Any die-hard old-school programmer really should be aware that
such things are possible. Maybe I'll be told that it's old hat - fair
enough. 

But that's what I call flexibility - using a 1980's programming language
to produce 'cutting-edge' sales-summary spreadsheets...

Good question Razvan,

David


-- 
Computergrid : The ones with the most connections win.