[Playlist] Schema files and element order

[Lucas Gonze]

On Tue, 20 Feb 2007, Tim Mccune wrote:
> I'm reading the XSPF spec right now, trying to get some more context.
> Back to what seems to be the root of the problem, element order, I'm a
> little fuzzy on why you feel the need to allow arbitrary ordering of
> elements in the first place.  I'm not seeing anything in the spec that
> says that arbitrary ordering is ok.

There is nothing in the spec which says what order elements go in, hence 
there is no requirement to put them in a particular ordering.

> Am I just missing it?  Does
> allowing an arbitrary ordering of elements provide some extra
> functionality that I'm just not understanding?  To me, it just seems to
> complicate the format without any clear benefit.

Maybe so, maybe not, but it's a done deal.  The spec is frozen.

My argument for why it's a good thing is the same as the argument for why 
validators shouldn't cry wolf.  Validity is good for the community as a 
whole yet hard to get developers to care about.  Anything which makes it 
harder for developers to generate valid XSPF will lead to less valid XSPF 
and will be bad for the community.  This is especially true for features 
which exist only to placate the validator, like a specific element order.

Anyhow, let's treat this as an issue of internal Yahoo product development 
and take it offline.