On Wed, 30 Mar 2005, Sean Wheller wrote:
> Why do people try to
> format XML in blocks such as
> <para>
> Some text here.
> </para>
The simple answer here is because some publishers/editors like to receive
scripts in which the markup is _always_ physically separate from the text.
Depends on the house-style. And/or the editor concerned.
> 2. IMHO, It makes reading the XML and content harder.
You can train your mind/eye-scan faculties to read either without
difficulty. It's purely a question of habit.
(This is actually true. Try it sometime.)
> 3. It is hard to keep the formatting of the XML indent consistant.
Some publishers/editors insist on NO indent before text -- particularly
where markup is kept entirely separate from text.
Again -- depends on the instructions to authors.
> Why not just use <para>Some text here.</para>?
Probably for the same reason that you don't use:
<para>Some text here.</para><para>Some more text here.</para><para>Yet
more text here.</para><para>Still further text here.</para>
Not all paragraph text is the same length. A presentation style which
evolves for long paras looks out of place where the paragraphs are only
three or four words long; and vice-versa.
But editors like consistency.
The bottom line is: it's anal retentives vs. natural chaotics :)
--
Martin Wheeler - StarTEXT / AVALONIX - Glastonbury - BA6 9PH - England
http://www.startext.co.uk/mwheeler/
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