RE: Use of XML as a basis for e-mail

	While, as you point out, XML has problems with size/memory usage and
binary data (still solvable), what about using ASN.1.  ASN.1 can handle
binary data, and uses a minimum amount of data to represent the same basic
structures.  It also has the advantage of coding integers and dates in
machine readable format, rather then make the computer reparse that info.

	73,
		Shawn

> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On
> Behalf Of Jacob Palme
> Sent: Monday, February 02, 2004 3:32 AM
> To: [email protected]
> Subject: Use of XML as a basis for e-mail
> 
> 
> At 15.10 +0000 04-02-01, Paul Smith wrote:
> ><address>[email protected]</address>
> 
> That is not XML. That is a hybride of XML and ABNF. The
> separation between localpart and domain address, and the
> separation between domain elements, is in your example
> based on ABNF specifications, not by XML.
> 
> Pure XML would be:
> 
> <address><localpart>fred</localpart>
> <domainaddress><domainelement>company</domainelement>
> <domainelement>com</domainelement></domainaddress>
> </address>
> 
> This example clearly shows one disadvantage with XML, it
> requires approximately twice as much space for the same
> information as ABNF as used in e-mail.
> 
> Another problem with XML is that it cannot handle binary
> data, which are important in e-mail, for example to include
> pictures in messages or to attach binary attachments to
> messages.
> 
> I am not saying that I am absolutely against XML in a
> completely new e-mail system, just pointing out that it
> will not be used completely. It will have to be used
> together with other encoding methods, like BASE64.
> --
> Jacob Palme <[email protected]> (Stockholm University and KTH)
> for more info see URL: http://www.dsv.su.se/jpalme/