Re: libxml2 bindings

[rm]

On Thu, Jul 31, 2003 at 09:17:23PM +0100, Nic wrote:
> address@hidden 
>  writes:
> 
> > I personally don't think a parser/serializer for a markup language 
> > belongs into the core of a programming language (but i guess i'm 
> > getting old :-) 
> 
> But guile is an extension language. The more it can do out of the box
> the better (IMHO).

I would phrase that different: the more one modules that are
available, the better. But i really don't see why a markup
parser has to be in the language core. What's so horrible about

 (use-modules (parsers xml libxml2))

Now, one thing i kind of dream of is a kind of "generic" interface
definition that unifies modules with the same purpose (something
like SAX, DOM etc. for XML parsers) so that one could substitute
one for another (this allready works with XML parsers in Java).

>   
> > One issue not to underestimate is the licence clash: libxml2 is 
> > distributed under an MIT licence, GUILE has a modified (?) LGPL. 
> > I'd hate to have a dual language core (wasn't there a recent  
> > approach to even get rid of the LGPL modifications?). 
> 
> I hope not. The reason for the Guile exception (which btw is against
> the GPL and not the LGPL) is that Guile is an extension language and
> GNU wants to encourage not restrict it's use. The exception ONLY
> allows linking libguile with non-free programs, it does not change
> the terms on the Guile source code.


Yes, but if some core code of guile links against code under
different licences (like, in libxml2's case, the MIT licence)
it starts to get messy. I really don't want to have to go through
a whole pile of licences before a start looking at a project
(one is more than enough).

> 
> > P.S.: any code to look at? 
> 
> I need to get the code somewhere, I could send you a tarball if you
> want one. Just email me if you do.

Need some webspace ? ;-)


 Ralf Mattes


> 
> -- 
> Nic Ferrier
> http://www.tapsellferrier.co.uk
> 
> 
> 
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