[equinox-dev] Why xml for the manifest file ?

[Sankar P <sankar.curiosity@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,

I am trying to design a software based on plugins-based architecture.
So I looked at eclipse to see how to go about this.

I would like to know what is the reason behind choosing xml as the way
for writing the plugin manifest file.  An .ini file kind-of
configuration is much simpler to write and is cheaper to parse. One
reason that I could think of is, to check for mandatory elements (like
say plugin-id) which can be easily compared by checking against a
schema etc.

So, can someone explain me why XML is chosen and how it is beneficial
over a simple text file ?

I am not subscribed to the list and so please add my address
explicitly in your replies. Thanks.

--
Sankar P
http://psankar.blogspot.com