Questions about my first project

joehao

Questions about my first project

in Processing with Other Languages • 2 years ago

Hi, processingers,

I am new to processing and pretty exciting about it. I am trying to down-to-earth by implementing my first project, but have some questions. Much appreciated for your answers.

Simply speaking, this project draws a family tree.

1. Should I store the family tree data in a xml file?

// My initial thinking is that xml format may fit the situation best (Because it's hierarchy). However, I realized that a unit in a family tree very possibly consists of two persons (husband and wife). For example,

Jack and Kay (1st generation)

Peter and Mary (2ed generation)

Jerry and Abbie (3rd generation)

Joe and Lily (3rd generation)

Joe and Kacey (2ed generation)

Jason and Amy (3rd generation)

everyone in the family has name, age, job and other information. What's the best way to use xml to express this structure? Is there any other better option other than xml?

2. If xml is the best way to store the data, then what's the best tool to parse the data?

// I will code my project in processing and then convert it to processingjs. I reviewed the included xml parser in processing, and it does not satisfy my needs. I know there are also tools such as JAXB and XMLPro, but seems people are not satisfy none of them.

3. Can anyone show my some commercial websites using processing?

// I searched but did not find it.

Thanks again for your help and patience.

Replies(1)

PhiLho

Re: Questions about my first project

2 years ago

1) There are several sensible ways to express this data in XML, but while I know next to nothing to genealogy, I bet there is at least one more or less standard XML format / schema to express family trees. There are lot of genealogy softwares, I would be surprised if no consensus on data exchange has emerged.
Such format might be too complex for your needs, I don't know. But if you want to make your own, it can be a starting point / source of inspiration.

2) As we say in http://forum.processing.org/topic/jaxb-tutorial-xml-parsing-with-style thread, the current XML parser library is lacking in some domains (it is made for simplicity and simple files, in the Processing spirit), but the advantage, in your case, is that it is available (apparently) in Processing.js.
JAXB is a good, robust tool (based on the Saxon library, IIRC), available out of the box with Java. But this one, like the others, might not be available in the JS version.
There are other XML libraries for Java, like Jdom. And several XML parsing strategies (Dom, Sax, Stax).
It also depends on your usage (reading all, manipulations, just conversion to image, etc.). Navigating, support of XPath is a good thing.

3) I don't know any, beside artist's portfolios. Commercial sites rarely rely on Java. Sane commercial sites doesn't even rely entirely on Flash... HTML is still the best way to make good sites (Google is king here, sites must make easy its task to walk the site).

Top Reply