Need feedback/opinions on this

[joohang]

I'm building a web application and it will be significantly faster if the client uses IE4+ and MSXML parser.

However, I want to write to the latest W3C standards, which means that the client (apart from IE4+ requirement) needs to:

- install MSXML 3.0
- may have to run xmlinst.exe to make some registry changes (automatic; not all of them need to do this)

The total download size is around 700KB or so.

It *is* an optional feature and I *will* have an option where the server does all this work and sends back HTML only.

However, I was curious whether you would install a new parser if a web application you use quite often can show a significant increase in response time by installing a parser.

 

[warcleric]

IMO, it is not wise to require the use of any particular software. Huge companies like real and MS have had a hard time getting users to install their software to view or hear certain web content, it is nearly impossible for an individual to not drive away users by doing the same. Unless it is absolutly necessary I would avoid it.

 

[joohang]

Even though it's optional? You got some very good points, though.

So you wouldn't install it?

 

[AdamDuritz99]

i probably would, If i knew what you were talking about


peace
sean

 

[pulpp]

intresting, i need to learn what XML is all about...

 

[DAM]

your optional service better be damn good if i am going to install something on my pc. remember the biggest thing is trust, how much do you trust this person.





dam()

 

[joohang]

To put it in a nutshell:

An application like FuseTalk will download 50KB XML data stream rather than reloading 300KB HTML page every time you click on a thread.

So it's a web application that behaves almost like a Win32 application, where the layout is preloaded and only the contents/data is retrieved as required.

How's that?

IE5 comes with MSXML 2.6 with it by default, but it uses pre-W3C standards. If I code according to the latest specs, I need MSXML 3.0 (+ xmlinst.exe for some of them).

I will have scripts and server components checking for client capability. So if the user tries to enable something that his/her browser is not capable of doing, it will show a warning and automatically disable it.

 

[joohang]

And the software I am asking to install is developed by MS.

It's known to be one of the most stable software ever compiled from them, according to some developers. Does that give enough trust, dam?

It's like upgrading a component of your IE.

 

[joohang]

Bumping

 

[pulpp]

joohang, not to be annoying, but you got any leads on where i can start learning about XML and that stuff? sounds very intresting......

 

[joohang]

No problem. It is my pleasure to be helpful to anyone who is keen to learn.

It really depends on what you want to do with it.

There isn't much with XML itself. If you know HTML already, you basically know (or should know - if you coded HTML properly according to W3C) half of the rules. Learn bits and pieces about DTD/Schema, well-formed vs. validated, namespace, etc.

Once you go through the basic XML rules, you will soon feel lost because there are at least 15 or so XML-related technologies that have been or will be standardized. Some of these include:

- XSLT
- XPath
- XForms
- SOAP/WSDL
- XSD Schema

If you are interested in developing web applications with XML, look into XSLT/XPath and perhaps SOAP. Typically, XML + XSLT transformation is performed on the server, but my approach is to do the transformation on the client (since IE is capable of doing this) to save server load and bandwidth.

OK. I got a little off topic here. Back to your question:

- Look for courses on XML. XML has become quite mature now so you will actually learn based on some practical scenarioa, rather just a bunch of theories.
- Go to a large local bookstore and read through their collection of XML books. Buy the one you like.
- Watch out when you learn XML - many books are outdated. I learned from MS Press "XML in Action" and this book is full of outdated information, although it wasn't too bad when I bought it last summer. I chose this book because it was the only XML book at my local Chapters branch that actually had some examples in it. When I looked through XML books last summer, 90% of the books were useless to me.
- Come up with a learning project and study the XML technologies related to it.

I'll stop here for now. If you got any other questions, feel free to post them here or PM me.

 

[pulpp]

great, thanks man... i appreciate it..... also you might wanna add a poll so people can vote if they would download/install a parser if needed, personally i dont see why not if it would reduce the amount of data needed to be transmited.

 

[joohang]

You're welcome.

I don't expect any more than 20% of users to install the parser, but I was more curious about the response from the AT crowd. And those with IE6 should have everything installed by default.

I'm quite positive that some power users will give it a try, though. I hope.

 

[pulpp]

sureee, i would be glad to help with testing if needed