RE: XSL Requirements (was: Microsoft extensions to XSL)

["Lawton, Scott" <slawton@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I'd like to add my vote in favor of splitting XSL into separate
transformation and style languages.

Echoing and adding to Oren's comments:

I think it's true that many "real world" formatting tasks will require some
transformation, but I don't think that's sufficient argument for combining
two distinct tasks into one language.  In fact, to the extent that
formatting arbitrary documents may require extensive transformation (which I
tend to believe), that's an argument for two languages -- each tuned to the
task (and target user).

It's interesting to look at how w3c explains CSS/XSL to the public
(http://www.w3.org/Style/):
The unique features are that CSS can be used to style HTML documents. XSL,
on the other hand, is able to tranform documents. For example, XSL can be
used to transform XML data into HTML/CSS documents on the Web server. This
way, the two languages complement each other and can be used together.
 
...

The model I would like to see:
- "XTL" for powerful transformation, including things like replicating
Headers1 thru 3 up top as a Table of Contents, or organizing data into
multiple threaded columns.  Transformation is often non-trivial; XTL will
likely be used by technically inclined folks.

- a simple stylesheet language that specifies how individual elements look:
font, size, style, color, page size, margin widths, etc.  (There are
powerful arguments for enhancing CSS2 rather than inventing something new,
though I also like the idea of an XML syntax -- so I'll abstain on this
part.)  I would like anyone to be able to easily specify their own
stylesheets ... I think transformation gets in the way here.

As noted in previous threads, "XTL" and other emerging standards should be
coordinated so that they use the same "matching" syntax.  (Though it seems
reasonable that some of the standards may only support a subset of the rich
syntax required of a generalized XML query language.)

my two bits worth,

Scott


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