[bknr-devel] Problems with XML import/export, can't follow the tutorial

[Frederico Muñoz]

Hi Hans,

2010/5/30 Hans Hübner <hans.huebner at gmail.com>:
> I pulled your changes into my repository, thanks again!

Splendid, I'm happy that my trivial work has been useful!

I'm going to further test the changes and come up with a small list of
enhancements/doubts, I'll try to be as succinct as possible. At this
stage I only have one of each, which I will put here just to
exemplify:

1) As it is write-to-xml defaults to *standard-output*. It seems
sensible to me to do so, and one can always provide a different
stream. The tutorial, however, seems to indicate that write-to-xml
should return the XML output as a return value... not sure if adapting
the tutorial is the best course, or changing the way write-to-xml
works by using a string stream and returning the output (I've tried,
it works, but returns everything escaped, which is aesthetically
doubtful)
2) As it is one can't use lists (including cons) as slot values. I've
found this by having a "location" slot in my "army" class which is
represented by a cons like (X . Y). This returns an error (since the
test is made with consp, but the cdr isn't a list). For cons the "fix"
is easy (e.g. use alexandria's proper-list-p), but when a slot value
is really a list the output isn't as expected: a class which has '(1 2
3) has a slot value will produce:

<element>1</element>
<element>2</element>
<element>3</element>

instead of what would be expected:

<element>'(1 2 3)</element>

I'm trying to find a way to deal with this. Ultimately one can always
say that list values shouldn't be used.

Again, there is no pressure in terms of replying to this observations:
I'll continue to tackle them as I see fit (right or wrong), and then
provide something more concrete which can be reviewed.

Regards,

Frederico