Alumni Website!

[David]

I have been asked to produce an alumni style website for old
university students to log in leave details about themselves such as
what their currently up to, how much they're earning etc.
The system should also allow university staff to compile results about
the employment rates of ex-pupils etc.

Ok I thought to myself, I could know this up in XHTML/php & MySQL and
should have some pretty good functionality. But then I discover that
the "enabling technology" is to be XML!

Right now Im stuck. I really dont see the benifits of doing this
project in XML as I would be essentially have to write a whole load of
XML files, write a whole load of XSL files then convert them into
XHTML.
Now forgive me for being completely dumb but wouldnt it just be easier
to do it in XHTML in the first place???

I have over past few weeks, begun to delve into XML technologies and
have even gotten to grips (kindof!) with XML spy. But still fail to
see the advantages besides creating a whole lot more work for myself!

I'd like to hear some of you more experienced XML chaps thoughts on
the subject!

[Steve Slatcher]

David wrote:

I have been asked to produce an alumni style website for old
university students to log in leave details about themselves such as
what their currently up to, how much they're earning etc.
The system should also allow university staff to compile results about
the employment rates of ex-pupils etc.

Ok I thought to myself, I could know this up in XHTML/php & MySQL and
should have some pretty good functionality. But then I discover that
the "enabling technology" is to be XML!

I have over past few weeks, begun to delve into XML technologies and
have even gotten to grips (kindof!) with XML spy. But still fail to
see the advantages besides creating a whole lot more work for myself!

I'd like to hear some of you more experienced XML chaps thoughts on
the subject!

Have you asked your masters why they want to use XML?

There might be a good reason, but from what you say I would tend to agree
there does not seem to be one.