Is it possible / logical to use XML as an input/decoder for a binary file reader?

Question

Problem:

We have to read from a proprietary binary file at work. It changes every couple of months and it takes a lot of effort from our team to keep our software up to date in order to read the latest changes.

So with that in mind, would it be reasonable to create a robust binary parser that takes an xml file as the input or template for reading each version of this file? Meaning that the xml would outline where the words/fields/values are in the binary file and how to read it. Basically acting as a decoder for each particular file version.

Would this be a logical step forward? If anyone has solved this problem before, suggestions are welcome. Or if there are any other possible solutions it is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Answer 1

This sounds to me to be a perfectly reasonable suggestion - there's always the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' defence to consider - if it's a lot of work for little pay-off then is it worth it - however, it seems like a neat and elegant idea that could be applied elsewhere.