Pipe‑Tobacco Review, Tobacco & Pipe XML Standards

[pylorns]

Pipe‑Tobacco Review, Tobacco & Pipe XML Standards - Pipedia - https://pipedia.org/wiki/Pipe%E2%80%91Tobacco_Review,_Tobacco_%26_Pipe_XML_Standards

The XML Standards for Pipe Tobacco Applications are a set of open, standardized XML formats developed for the pipe smoking community. Hosted on thepipetool.com, these standards facilitate the documentation, cataloging, and sharing of information related to pipe tobacco reviews, tobacco inventories, and pipe collections. Created to promote interoperability across platforms, they enable easy export and import of data in XML format, unifying enthusiasts, collectors, and developers around common schemas.

As of September 19, 2025, the standards include three complementary formats: the Pipe-Tobacco Review Standard, the Tobacco Inventory Standard, and the Pipe Inventory Standard. Each is defined by an XML Schema Definition (XSD) file, with sample XML instances provided for implementation. All standards are at version 1.0 and use distinct namespaces for clarity.

You can view the examples here Pipe‑Tobacco Review, Tobacco & Pipe XML Standards – thepipetool.com - https://thepipetool.com/xml/ and documentation guide here Pipe‑Tobacco Review, Tobacco & Pipe XML Standards – Documentation - https://thepipetool.com/xml/xml-guide.html

 

[ziv]

This is cool, but why not json?

 

[pylorns]

This is cool, but why not json?

Will explore but the main goal was to set forward something simple for now - its been on my list to do for years, finally got to it. The beer community did this way back in 2010 or something with the beer.xml for beer recipies etc. and coming from healthcare I'm more used to the XML schema.

 

[woodsroad]

How many pipe smokers have even the foggiest notion what you are talking about? I don’t.

 

[sardonicus87]

How many pipe smokers have even the foggiest notion what you are talking about? I don’t.

I'd imagine most haven't a clue when it comes to data science and data manipulation.

Since forever, it's been the bane of IT and data guys that people try to use spreadsheets like databases, try to use databases like spreadsheets, always mis-matching the wrong tech for the wrong kind of data organization/presentation.

Those that know what they're doing, it could be useful, but otherwise, I foresee a lot trying to use it in a way it's not meant to be used, being confused and then asking a million questions about it, mostly how to make it behave like a spreadsheet... a thing I still don't understand, like if you want a spreadsheet, use a spreadsheet program?

 

[Pipeandapencil]

It would be so cool if the "what are you smoking" thread was more normalized so you could mine the data and see what blends are most frequented. I tried to get AI to mine it for me, but the descriptions are just too variable. Just a pipe dream of a data lover...

 

[Auxsender]

It would be so cool if the "what are you smoking" thread was more normalized so you could mine the data and see what blends are most frequented. I tried to get AI to mine it for me, but the descriptions are just too variable. Just a pipe dream of a data lover...

Earnest question:
Why though?
What difference does it make?
Just purely for the sake of collecting data?

 

[Pipeandapencil]

Earnest question:
Why though?
What difference does it make?
Just purely for the sake of collecting data?

I just think that kind of stuff is interesting. I like to track things. I've got an excel spreadsheet for everything, I'm an accountant. Practically speaking, I would probably be more inclined to give a blend a try if it were high on the list. That thread has prompted me to try many different blends, but it moves so fast it's hard to keep up.

 

[litup]

I just think that kind of stuff is interesting. I like to track things. I've got an excel spreadsheet for everything, I'm an accountant. Practically speaking, I would probably be more inclined to give a blend a try if it were high on the list. That thread has prompted me to try many different blends, but it moves so fast it's hard to keep up.

Why not just use Smokingpipes' Best Sellers list as a proxy for it?

 

[Pipeandapencil]

Why not just use Smokingpipes' Best Sellers list as a proxy for it?

Don't need that list to know Lane 1Q and OGS are the best sellers... I'd like to know what more dedicated pipers prefer.

 

[litup]

Ahh, you prefer selection bias. Makes sense.

 

[pylorns]

Why not just use Smokingpipes' Best Sellers list as a proxy for it?

Technically - we could do something with the data in thepipetool - ie when you have a tin of open tobacco you can go in and "smoke" and it will subtract (its broke at this current moment my dev has been working on some updates) but it will bring up a dialog box that defaults to 3 grams to subtract from your open tobacco. We're not currently tracking that as far as "you smoked x blend on x date" but we could theoretically do that and you could go back and see what you smoked when.

 

[ziv]

Technically - we could do something with the data in thepipetool - ie when you have a tin of open tobacco you can go in and "smoke" and it will subtract (its broke at this current moment my dev has been working on some updates) but it will bring up a dialog box that defaults to 3 grams to subtract from your open tobacco. We're not currently tracking that as far as "you smoked x blend on x date" but we could theoretically do that and you could go back and see what you smoked when.

Tracking things manually is sooo 2010's. We can do better! Let me introduce to you - the iPipe.

​

For centuries, the pipe has been a timeless tradition. But the technology hasn't changed. Until now. We asked ourselves, "What if we could create a pipe that was truly smart? A seamless union of hardware and software?" Today, we are introducing the iPipe. It is beautifully designed, incredibly simple, and magically intuitive.

The iPipe is more than just a device—it is an experience. It’s precision-milled from a single block of aluminum and features a proprietary ceramic composite bowl. The real magic, however, lies in its advanced sensors and powerful new chip. The iPipe automatically manages temperature and airflow, ensuring a perfect, consistent smoke every time. It precisely measures the amount of tobacco you use, counts your relights, and tracks the exact longevity of your session.

And because it's a smart device, it connects to an app we're calling iSmoke. This app allows you to see all your session data. But we’ve also built in a social feature. Imagine connecting with a community of fellow enthusiasts, discovering new blends, and with the touch of a button, you can share your stats and brag to your friends about your perfect burn, your minimal relights, and the sheer longevity of your session.

The iPipe is not just a product; it’s a statement. It’s a testament to the idea that technology can and should enhance every part of our lives. We have reinvented the pipe, and we're confident that once you hold it, you’ll see there is simply no going back.

Thank you.

 

[pylorns]

lol

 

[litup]

Technically - we could do something with the data in thepipetool - ie when you have a tin of open tobacco you can go in and "smoke" and it will subtract (its broke at this current moment my dev has been working on some updates) but it will bring up a dialog box that defaults to 3 grams to subtract from your open tobacco. We're not currently tracking that as far as "you smoked x blend on x date" but we could theoretically do that and you could go back and see what you smoked when.

I was actually just questioning pipeandpencil's desire to mine the data out of the "what are you smoking threads?" to discover what's popular here.

That said, I do know of a handful of people that like to record their smoking details in a journal whenever they smoke. That's pretty tedious, in my opinion, but we're all wired differently. Personally, I think having an "open" category on your site is sufficient and then you just update it when you've finished.

 

[cshubhra]

That said, I do know of a handful of people that like to record their smoking details in a journal whenever they smoke

I take notes in a notepad, and from time to time update an excel. I have the excel since 2017 and the notes probably from 2020.

Last 6 months or so I have been lazy, so the excel is out of date. The notes are still accurate though

I can tell you how much I spent on pipes, how many bowls I have smoked since 2017, my cellar data can be sliced and diced across many dimensions. Only thing I never tracked is how much I spent buying tobacco

 

[sardonicus87]

I mean, one thing that does bother me with JSON or CSV is people trying to stylize them. Like why? Yes, the formats are meant to be "human-readable", but they're not meant to be like, how you present data. They're really meant to be low-overhead ways of transferring data between things with high interoperability.

That's like the main advantage of XML over the others, is it prevents people being stupid with it.

Don't manually create and stylize serializable text data (like JSON or CSV), that's not what it's for, stick to the standards, stop with custom weird bs and unrecognized delimiters and treating it like an ASCII art project.

 

[HeavyLeadBelly]

I take notes in a notepad, and from time to time update an excel. I have the excel since 2017 and the notes probably from 2020.

Last 6 months or so I have been lazy, so the excel is out of date. The notes are still accurate though

I can tell you how much I spent on pipes, how many bowls I have smoked since 2017, my cellar data can be sliced and diced across many dimensions. Only thing I never tracked is how much I spent buying tobacco

Yeah, you don’t want to track how much you’ve spent lol