[linux-audio-dev] Song file format : ascii or binary ?

Hi, I'm writing a pattern-based audio sequencer, and wonder about the file format to choose when saving the whole song. My application handles the usual stuff : metadata (bpm, settings), patterns, and samples. Do you believe I should use (yet another) binary file format, embedding patterns, samples, and possibly roasted chicken into a big standalone (that's the good point) package ? Or may I produce an XML file (doesn't <pattern> looks nicer than [pattern] ? ;), with an option to mimic the save "Web-page, Complete" mozilla behaviour ? That is, when saving song.xml, sticking a song.xml.files/ folder in the same directory, to store samples. -- og