Are people super into the idea of using xml?

We used xml for nearly everything at RSP, over time it became clear that it's a pretty poor choice for a lot of things.

One of the developers introduced the use of YAML (http://www.yaml.org/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML) and it
took off with everyone, it happened again when I recommended it's introduction at DrD (where pretty much
everything was XML). RV has started to use it for it's package descriptions as well.

As I don't think any other apps will actually be writing ocio profiles other than the ocio api, and people will be hand
writing these profiles. I don't see a benefit to using xml for a profile description, if we using as an interchange format
then maybe.

btw. I really don't like file format discussions but I think this would really help ocio profile readability. If people are
into the idea I'm happy to do the leg work to get it to work.

I have attached a small demo python script for you to check out, it mostly shows off how to define your own
custom yaml serialisation. You need PyYaml (http://pyyaml.org/) to run the demo.

Why I like it:
- super simple to parse and serialise objects
- human readable / editable
- easy to define your own custom types
- using yaml in python is so simple

It would be quite easy to have binary data (eg file luts) interweaved inside a yaml file.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YAML#Other_specified_data_types
--snip--
picture: !!binary |
R0lGODlhDAAMAIQAAP//9/X
17unp5WZmZgAAAOfn515eXv
Pz7Y6OjuDg4J+fn5OTk6enp
56enmleECcgggoBADs=mZmE
--snip--

http://www.yaml.org/spec/1.2/spec.html#id2759572 - Relation to JSON
http://www.yaml.org/spec/1.2/spec.html#id2759732 - Relation to XML

YAML
--snip--
ocs_profile_version: 1
resource_path: luts
luma_b: '0.0722'
luma_g: '0.7152'
luma_r: '0.2126'
role_compositing_log: lgh
role_scene_linear: lnh
strictparsing: true
displays:
Film1D: !Display {colorspace: vd8, device: sRGB}
Log: !Display {colorspace: lg10, device: sRGB}
colorspaces:
dt8: !ColorSpace
bitdepth: 8ui
description: null
family: vd8
gpuallocation: uniform
gpumax: 1
gpumin: 0
isdata: false
to_reference:
- !File {interpolation: null, src: diffusemult.spimtx}
- !ColorSpaceTransform {dst: lnh, src: vd8}
lg10: !ColorSpace
bitdepth: 10ui
description: lg10 converts from scanned film to the show linear reference space.
This is a custom conversion based on several Kodak acquisition stocks. All three
color channels have the same response and there is no cross talk. This transform
has a shoulder and toe compensation. This 10bit uiint version is used for DI
deliveries.
family: lg
gpuallocation: uniform
gpumax: 1
gpumin: 0
isdata: false
to_reference:
lnh: !ColorSpace
bitdepth: 16f
description: The show reference space. This is a sensor referred linear representation
of the scene with primaries that correspond to scanned film. 0.18 inthis space
corresponds to a properly exposed 18% grey card.
family: ln
gpuallocation: lg2
gpumax: 6
gpumin: -15
isdata: false
to_reference: null
vd8: !ColorSpace
bitdepth: 8ui
description: vd8 is an 8 bit sRGB like,2.2 gamma, conversion to and from the reference
colorspace. This is a 1-d representation does not include any subtractive color
mixing or crosstalk compensation. This is commonly used to interchange files
between internal and external vendors. This is used as the interchange space
for final images on direct to video or television products.
family: vd8
gpuallocation: uniform
gpumax: 1
gpumin: 0
isdata: false
to_reference:
- !File {interpolation: linear, src: vd10.spi1d}
--snip--

XML
--snip--
<ocioconfig version="1" resourcepath="luts" strictparsing="true" luma_r="0.2126" luma_g="0.7152" luma_b="0.0722" role_scene_linear="lnh" role_compositing_log="lgh">
<display device="sRGB" name="Film1D" colorspace="vd8"/>
<display device="sRGB" name="Log" colorspace="lg10"/>
<colorspace name="lnh" family="ln" bitdepth="16f" isdata="false" gpuallocation="lg2" gpumin="-15" gpumax="6">
<description>The show reference space. This is a sensor referred linear representation of the scene with primaries that correspond to scanned film. 0.18 in this space corresponds to a properly exposed 18% grey card. </description>
</colorspace>
<colorspace name="lg10" family="lg" bitdepth="10ui" isdata="false" gpuallocation="uniform" gpumin="0" gpumax="1">
<description>lg10 converts from scanned film to the show linear reference space. This is a custom conversion based on several Kodak acquisition stocks. All three color channels have the same response and there is no cross talk. This transform has a shoulder and toe compensation. This 10bit uiint version is used for DI deliveries.</description>
<to_reference>
<group>
<file src="lg10.spi1d" interpolation="nearest" />
</group>
</to_reference>
</colorspace>
<colorspace name="lg16" family="lg" bitdepth="16ui" isdata="false" gpuallocation="uniform" gpumin="0" gpumax="1">
<description>lg16 converts from scanned film to the show linear reference space. This is a custom conversion based on several Kodak acquisition stocks. All three color channels have the same response and there is no cross talk. This transform has a shoulder and toe compensation. This 16bit uiint version is used for DI deliveries in the rare case where this is requested. </description>
<to_reference>
<group>
<file src="lgf.spi1d" interpolation="nearest" />
</group>
</to_reference>
</colorspace>
<colorspace name="lgh" family="lg" bitdepth="16f" isdata="false" gpuallocation="uniform" gpumin="-0.2" gpumax="1.615">
<description>Converts from scanned film to the show linear reference space. This is a custom curve based on several Kodak acquisition stocks. All three color channels have the same response and there is no cross talk. This transform has a shoulder and toe compensation. This floating point version of the conversion that includes a large range of over-shoot and under-shoot values. This allows for colortiming offsetsto be applied and reversed out losslessly. For internal use only. </description>
<to_reference>
<group>
<file src="lgf.spi1d" interpolation="linear" />
</group>
</to_reference>
</colorspace>
<colorspace name="vd8" family="vd" bitdepth="8ui" isdata="false" gpuallocation="uniform" gpumin="0" gpumax="1">
<description>vd8 is an 8 bit sRGB like,2.2 gamma, conversion to and from the reference colorspace. This is a 1-d representation does not include any subtractive color mixing or crosstalk compensation. This is commonly used to interchange files between internal and external vendors. This is used as the interchange space for final images on direct to video or television products. </description>
<to_reference>
<group>
<file src="vd10.spi1d" interpolation="linear" />
</group>
</to_reference>
</colorspace>
<colorspace name="dt8" family="dt" bitdepth="8ui" isdata="false" gpuallocation="uniform" gpumin="0" gpumax="1">
<description> </description>
<to_reference>
<group>
<file src="diffusemult.spimtx"/>
<colorspacetransform src="vd8" dst="lnh"/>
</group>
</to_reference>
</colorspace>
</ocioconfig>
--snip--



.malcolm