New concept: Microformat (micro format)

New concept: Microformat (micro format)

2005-3-31

"The cheapest, fastest and most reliable part of the computer system is the part that does not exist" - Gordon Bell

This is not a satirical, nor is it a lazy, this is a philosophy who did something. And China's Taoist thinking is a bit of different songs, saying that "morality" is "there is a profit, no use". Microformat is an practical application of this philosophy.

We know that one of the most annoying things when you do a project is to define file formats. Existing file format is not enough, you must define a new format. And the cost of defining the new format includes:

Analysis, Design Time Realization Time Debugging Time Planning or Design Change Brought or Extended Time Version Problem Support Tool Making Time Format The user's training time hidden error caused by data rescue time and the resulting risk of data loss Prices for maintenance possible and other data format conversions

Simply put, the more you do, the more troublesome things. The core of the so-called microFormat is that there is only a few new definitions in the format, so it is called a micro format. The method of reducing the defined amount is to use the definition of existing formats widely used. For example, define a new format of electronic slide data files like PPT:

1. subject 1
2. subpoint a
3. subspoint b
4. subject 2
   1. subspoint c
   2. subspoint d

      Almost XHTML source code, use ready-made label definition, ready-made editor, ready-made viewer, ready-made Parsing code, ready-made training document ... This is to make full use of "there is something", enjoy "no" needs to handle one Pile of trouble.

      Although the current MicroFormat is mainly expanded around XHTML, its concept is available in many places. Traditionally, many people define file formats in a sequential manner, which does have a certain role, but it is relatively weak in version compatibility and support tools. If you want to evaluate the most successful file format, I will vote for an invoice because it play an important role in many fields as a very simple text format.

      See http://www.xml.com/lpt/a/2005/03/23/deviant.html.