Factoton offers a set of conversion tools for working with XML files in an editorial context.
Development Principles
Factoton’s development follows the Unix philosophy, which favors creating minimalist and modular software. The library thus defines a set of simple, compact, and extensible components designed to work together.
Composability is preferred over a monolithic design. This modularity allows certain components to be updated without affecting the rest of the system. While default installations can be provided, users are free to choose only the components they need.
Such a design requires the definition of common interfaces. Since the library is intended to operate in a structured data context, the choice was made to favor interfaces based on the use of XML text streams.
To achieve this:
- Specialized programs are designed to be easily combined with other programs
- Well-defined interfaces ensure their interaction
- Program inputs, outputs, and configuration files are plain-text XML streams
- Component code must be easy to study, correct, improve, or extend