We do the most in XML, we have for the eritoc partys and swingerclubs a XML feed to all pages, clubs, event companys, provider... most of them in plain PHP script.
the ticked system (book a place on a party, show, event...) is a mix of SOAP, php and shell sripting. we have a server only for the event reservation. on the webserver at the client side we run php script that puts a XML file on the drive without any database and crap, easy to run it on the remote server (club owner, event...).
a shell sript checks every hour with a http request (wget/curl) the XML pages on the remote system, put them on a tmp folder and make a short check with a awk script, after them a php script put the informations into the database.
steady customer have a direct access to the XML interface the send a POST request to the server like:
<event>freefuck 2011</>
<do>reservation</>
<person>female:1 male:3</>
with a easy fsockopen and fput php scriot.
i dont like to code 200 include files and 500 php classes for a easy operation :-)
here in germany we have ppl they are "HTML software architect" the need at least 2 inluce files and 5 classes for a "hello world" php script.
Very funny is to see a php script that starts with:
PHP Code:
<?
echo "<html>";
echo "[..tonns of html code]"
?>
its PHP baby ;)