RE: html to dsssl ?

Subject: RE: html to dsssl ?
From: Sebastian Rahtz <sebastian.rahtz@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1999 09:44:20 +0000 (GMT)
Didier PH Martin writes:

 > OK let's now take it differently: I really don't think that its unlikely
 > that someone would add a XSL type of functionality to OpenJade. 
 > What such thing would this bring? RTF, HTML, MIF, Tex (and PDF)
 > output for both SGML and XML.

hang on. you cannot have your cake and eat it. two reasons why DSSSL
has not taken off are

 * the lack of any implementation of the `advanced' layout features
 * a general distrust of unproven abstract formatting languages

So
 1. if someone goes to the trouble of making a serious formatting
    engine do advanced layout from DSSSL/XSL FO input, are they going
    to retrofit it to OpenJade, or start from a clean base with XSL?

 2. if the market fails to accept the abstract formatting objects
    concept, that both DSSSL and XSL FO are doomed together

I don't really mind whether XSL FO takes off, or OpenJade causes a
pure DSSSL renaissance. But as it stands today, both formatting
languages are very unproven and unimplemented. The fact is that you
cannot typeset more than fairly simple documents with any of the DSSSL 
backends at present (yes, I know most documents _are_ simple!), and
until that situation changes, where are DSSSL/OpenJade/XSL FO going,
except down the drain? You might as well print from HTML and have done 
with it.

 > Actually, here is what is happening in the XSL world. Most of the
 > implementations are made in Java except Keith Moore which is working on a
 > C++ one (and off course the microsoft implementation).

do I, as a user, care what the implementation language is? no....

 > Don't you think that the OpenJade world could improve the actual product to
 > add new features like templates, new script languages? Let's supose for a
 > minute that it would be the case. We then have a chance to have a better
 > tool than what's actually available.

sure, make OpenJade a tool which can parse either XML or SGML (as it
can), and apply either XSL or DSSSL stylesheets, and use a common
backend --- why then the world and all thats in it will be yours, 
and what is more, my son, you'll be a man![1]

Sebastian

[1] from a probably misquoted poem by Kipling, just in case anyone
thinks I am being sexist :-}


 DSSSList info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/dsssl/dssslist


Current Thread