[Scribus] XML format used in Scribus

[Marvin Dickens]

On Saturday 14 May 2005 10:42 pm, Gregory Pittman wrote:
> Marvin Dickens wrote:
> >I'm not using 1.3 for production work nor did I say I was. My question
> >was when/if stability would be reached.
>
> And it always seems that the answers to that question, even today, are
> either unclear or that the format is expected to continue to evolve(?).
> I gather that whatever you might do, you will have to expect to modify
> it in future.
>
> TPFKAG

In fact, the answer was clear or at least as clear as it is currently known in 
the minds of the developers. The plan is:

1.) There will be stability as soon as version 1.4 is released.
2.) Future changes to the XML format following the release of 1.4 are expected
      to be in the form of extentions unless otherwise indicated by the
      development team.

FWIW, during the last 25 years, I've done a good bit of programming in 
workgroup/team environments. Large projects are inherently unwieldy 
even when impecably managed. With that said, the Scribus team is 
composed of disiplined players who are managed very, very well. This fact
is obvious - Otherwise, the product could never have evolved to where it is 
today as fast as it has. As a programmer, I cannot imagine a world where 
functionality is limited by a file format.  In the end, functionality 
dictates form and when the form is a file format that cannot handle 
extended/new functionality, it's time to retire the file format. Otherwise
you end up with something like this:

http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/1130/1130_intro.html


Best regards


Marvin Dickens