starner said:

The value of XML is in what it includes that plain text doesn't, and a lot of that is lost in the plain text version.

lost? or just not currently included? or even deliberately thrown out? consider carefully what your language implies, it might constrain you... meanwhile, i will point out once again that nobody has challenged my contention that i can represent all important book features using z.m.l. plain text, when formatted wisely, is far more powerful than you know. -bowerbird