Understanding

What a difference time can make. I was editing my XML template for the blog today to add back the K_os symbol flavicon and I realized that when I first used the template it seemed like a confusing mess that I could not comprehend. Strange enough when I edited the template today it seemed like kindergarten science. I have been studying and testing XML, XUL, HTML, CSS, XSSSL, DocBooks, jade, .....etc and writing my own xml style parser. I read the XML for the blog like it was a simple technical document now. No part of it makes me wonder what it does and it is very straight forward.

It seems it is like that with a lot of things. I am sure that a couple years ago I would have admitted to being an XML illiterate and not even known what I was admitting to. I think it is the completeness that is the most important part of understanding. The ability to see something and know that it is included or excluded. By just knowing some of the parts it is possible to say that I am familiar with the object, but I cannot use it effectively without running the risk of interfering with something I have yet to comprehend. Publishing and automatic document formatting is something worth learning for everybody IMHO.