Two "standard" libraries???

[Peter C. Chapin]

Regan Heath wrote:

>> Personally I don't have a problem with two different libraries that do
>> more or less the same thing getting used together. It happens a lot.
>> Suppose library X uses (for example) XML library A, and library Y uses
>> XML library B. A program wishing to use both X and Y ends up using,
>> indirectly, two different XML libraries. So what? 
> 
> Well... if XML lib A and XML lib B have different features, and/or do
> things in a slightly different way then it is possible that the program
> that uses them both may end up with that different behaviour in one or
> more places which could be frustrating for users, imagine..
> 
> "why can't I do <X> <here>, I can do it <there>"
> 
> Also, it just doesn't sit well with me to duplicate functionality like
> that, it just _feels_ wrong.

I agree that it may not be an ideal arrangement but if the alternative
is for the programmer to rebuild library X or library Y from scratch
that might be much worse. Assuming such an effort is prohibitively
expensive, the programmer may have little choice but live with two
libraries duplicating functionality.

Also keep in mind that in my scenario library X and library Y were
developed independently by competing vendors; there is no chance of
convincing the X developers to use the same XML support library as the Y
developers are using.

Peter