RE: [dssslist] Re: Markup Technology Position

["Maltby, David G" <david.g.maltby@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Javier -

> David Maltby said:
[snip] 
> > notice of our need for a top notch doc-head. Heck, we still use Jade

> > and DSSSL in our production products, although we are 
> > driving it out in favor of XSLT.

Javier said:
> You explained the reason for this list to have so low traffic. 
> Many are replacing DSSSL with XSLT. But do you think they are 
> equivalent? I don't think so. XSLT doesn't allow you to do 
> what DSSSL can do. Of course, DSSSL development is not 
> complete in OpenJade, but I plan to change this.

I am cautious about comparing the power and expressiveness of
DSSSL/Scheme to XSLT/Xpath.  Let me say that I have a warm place in my
heart for DSSSL/Scheme. I knew little about functional programming in
1999 when started with DSSSL, but I know now that I am better at writing
imperative languages for the effort of learning Scheme.  I personally
enjoy writing Scheme over XSLT. In terms of syntax it just flows out of
my brain faster.  Even with the lot's infuriating silly parenthesis, I
can use a text editor for Scheme but I find that to be efficient in
writing XSLT that I have to use an XSLT editor.  XMLSpy is my current
choice. However I work with developers that crank out XSLT with Notepad
faster then I can with Spy.

For us DSSSL is a transformation tool.  When it comes to formatting
pages (talk about old school) we use FOSI. Now, should we throw over
FOSI for XSL-FO is another subject.  If OpenJade had the full
transformation language, would I use it?  I don't know but I doubt it.
XSLT engines are everywhere.  Lots on non-doc-head developers know it.
It is easy for me to talk to the database guys and the GUI guys about
it.  XML is easy to sell to management.

Javier said:
> I hope you find someone for your working place. In fact, I 
> have met some other companies who use DSSSL in their work 
> flow. Everyone says DSSSL is not used, but when you scratch a 
> bit, it is widely used. Why do companies using DSSSL hide 
> under the rocks, and those using XSLT shout out so loud?

I included the line about using DSSSL in part to justify using this list
but then I added the "although" to let prospects know that we work with
skills that have broad marketability.  Fair or not, XSLT is everywhere.
We are actually forging new ground with transformation code management
by representing transforms in terms of ontologies and maps and then
generating the XSLT instances.  

- David