[Swift-devel] Re: [Swift-user] XDTM

[Michael Wilde]

Jamal,

As Swift evolved from its early prototypes to a more mature system, the 
notion of XDTM evolved to one of mapping between filesystem-based 
structures and Swift in-memory data structures (ie, scalars, arrays, and 
structures, which can be nested and typed).

This is best seen by looking at the "external" mapper, which allows a 
user to map a dataset using any external program (typically a script) 
that returns the members of the dataset as a two-column list: the Swift 
variable reference, and the external file or URI.

See the user guide section on the external mapper:

  http://www.ci.uchicago.edu/swift/guides/userguide.php#mapper.ext_mapper
(but the example in the user guide doesn't show the power of mapping to 
nested structures).

In other words, it still has the flavor of XDTM, but without any XML 
being visible to the user. It meets the same need but is easier to use 
and explain.

- Mike

On 7/26/09 2:50 PM, J A wrote:
> Hi All:
>  
> Can any one direct me to a source with more examples/explanation on 
> how XDTM is working/implemented?
>  
> Thanks,
> Jamal
>  
> 
> 
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