Re: Why EDUML?

[Bruno Vernier <vernier@vc.bc.ca>]

On Sun, Jul 11, 1999 at 08:07:28PM -0400, Roger Dingledine wrote: 

> One thing that should be added is a paragraph at the end describing status:
> how far we've come, how much we realize we need to do, and how work is
> progressing on that. "Show them the code", or at least state very firmly
> that it's there. Also summaries of who else is interested in eduml, who
> should be convinced to be interested in it, and why that is relevant.

I think there is a strong possibility that XML becomes a standard way to save 
configuration data for Linux applications ... all the /etc/ configuration 
files could and should be stored in XML format to make life much easier for 
those who write user-friendly configuration tools.

I think XML is winning the battle for the hearts and minds of those who write 
e-commerce applications... I think that is because it has the right balance 
of openess of standard while potentially maintaining minimal privacy 
protection.

Extrapolating from the above two observations, I think EDUML will make more 
and more sense.  What still needs to be done is for more of us to take a look 
at it and make sure that for any given application, there exists appropriate 
elements (tags) for the information to be converted.  Several members of 
seul-edu helped me refine EDUML back in the winter of 1998-99.

The DTD (which you can think of as an idiot-proof check of XML data entry) is 
out of date and probably not really critical ... at least not if all we do if 
convert from existing other formats.  Nonetheless, it should be done to allow 
checks for validity of converted EDUML databases.  Dan Moore, (who wrote the 
initial DTD), if you are still around, are you interested in updating the DTD?

Meanwhile, I have just annotated http://cran.seul.org/~vernier/eduml
to give some idea of what has been done.

As mentioned in a previous posting, I am working on using EDUML data with 
php3 scripts to produce a personalized page showing what a student has 
achieved and still needs to achieve as well as personalized pointers to the 
relevant online and offline activities.  I will also work on converters for 
the programs in use in my schools.

Bruno