[jdom-interest] Use Cases (was: Another Element.setName request)

[Patrick Dowler]

On 20 March 2001 07:00, philip.nelson at omniresources.com wrote:
> > I read through the list archives and the arguments for making
> > the element
> > name immutable.  "An Element with a different name is a different
> > Element..." or something like that.
...
> I think the real question has always been, "is there a good enough use case
> for adding an element rename to JDOM".  You expressed the difficulty of
> renaming.  Why did you need to do it in the first place?  What are you
> trying to accomplish?

<grumble>

You know, the problem with requiring a "use case" for infrastructure development
is that you often end up with a system that can only (easily) do the things you
had already invisioned ahead of time. At some point, you hav to just say "I don't
know of a use case, but XYZ makes the system more generla and flexible" and
then later on  someone can do something cool with it. If we always demand a
use case before doing something, we have to think of everything now... maybe
that is legit in the business world, but some people just like to do something 
cool :-)

</grumble>

-- 
Patrick Dowler
Canadian Astronomy Data Centre
National Research Council
Victoria, BC