Invisible XML (2025)
4 hours ago
- Invisible XML is a language for describing the implicit structure of data and making that structure explicit as XML markup.
- It uses declarative grammar rules to define text formats, replacing error-prone imperative scripts.
- A grammar consists of rules with symbols (nonterminals) and terminal matches; the parser recursively matches input.
- Successful parsing produces structured output (XML by default, but can be transformed to JSON, CSV, etc.).
- Ambiguity is allowed but noted; the processor returns one valid parse and marks the result as ambiguous.
- Example: a contacts file with names, emails, and phones can be described with a small grammar and parsed automatically.
- Declarative descriptions are easier to understand, test, and reuse compared to procedural code.
- The next article will cover Invisible XML syntax in detail.