[lenkite]

I have actually practically tried out a test where I give a huge config file in XML and then JSON and ask folks question on its structure.

The ones who read the XML file understood immediately. Why ? Because XML is self-documenting and the repetition via clear de-limitation extensively aids human memory.

The one who read the JSON file just glazed over it and needed to refer back to the document and re-read several times.

I urge all the XML naysayers and XML haters to please carry out this practical test with their colleagues. Please choose a good level of complexity and nesting and please make use of XML attributes for scalar values.

XML is SO FAR ahead in readability and grokking that it is not funny.

[seec]

Exactly. And with a proper color scheme it is so much easier to "parse" a document as a human. But JSON popularity is linkend to the web and javascript so not much that can be done. Coming up with new ambiguous markups just for config files is just a waste.

I really don't get it; the whole point of computing is to make stuff rigorous and precise so that you don't have to run a whole guesstimate translation layer as you need to with humans.