Subject: Re: MSIE5b2 compliance with latest XSL-WD? From: "G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 17:06:26 -0500 |
To: XSL List <xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> At 98/12/21 11:27 -0500, Paul_Tihansky@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: > I realized that Microsoft had implemented a few features in MSIE5b2 >that supposedly jumped the gun on the 19981216 XSL Working Draft. Now that >the new Working Draft is out, could someone summarize whether MSIE5b2 is >in compliance. Not! ... though, of course, compliance isn't defined yet ... I will say with certainty they aren't in alignment with the new Working Draft. Even though Microsoft states in their documentation ... "This release supports the transformation part of the W3C XSL specification. Microsoft is tracking the W3C working draft and will be updating this implementation to match the final W3C recommendation." .... their IE5b2 appears to have incorporated a number of their proposals to the W3C that are not available to us peons, or if so, aren't documented well. >And if not, where does it differ? Elements defined by W3C WD 1998-12-16: xsl:apply-imports xsl:apply-templates xsl:arg xsl:attribute xsl:attribute-set xsl:choose xsl:comment xsl:constant xsl:contents xsl:copy xsl:counter xsl:counter-increment xsl:counter-reset xsl:counter-scope xsl:counters xsl:element xsl:for-each xsl:id xsl:if xsl:import xsl:include xsl:invoke xsl:macro xsl:macro-arg xsl:number xsl:otherwise xsl:pi xsl:preserve-space xsl:sort xsl:strip-space xsl:stylesheet xsl:template xsl:text xsl:use xsl:value-of xsl:when Elements documented as supported by Microsoft (but unfortunately not documented well, so I can't tell how the behaviours differ from W3C-specified behaviours; also, some are documented to not be supported "at this time"): xsl:apply-templates xsl:attribute xsl:cdata xsl:choose xsl:comment xsl:copy xsl:define-template-set xsl:element xsl:entity-ref xsl:eval xsl:for-each xsl:if xsl:node-name xsl:otherwise xsl:pi xsl:script xsl:stylesheet xsl:template xsl:value-of xsl:when Additional elements used in Microsoft-supplied examples (not document at all): xsl:templates (I can assume this is xsl:define-template-set, but haven't tested it) xsl:nodeName (I can assume this is xsl:node-name, but haven't tested it) Microsoft also states "The Microsoft XSL processor extends the basic syntax in the XSL working draft to support more powerful pattern-matching operations. These extensions have been proposed to the XSL Working Group at http://www.w3.org/Style/XSL/Group/1998/09/XQL-proposal.html (W3C members only) and to the W3C at http://www.w3.org/TandS/QL/QL98/pp/query-transform.html." Template Selection: The W3C explicitly states "The order in which the children of the xsl:stylesheet element occur is not significant except for xsl:import elements and for error recovery. Users are free to order the elements as they prefer, and stylesheet creation tools need not provide control over the order in which the elements occur." The Microsoft document doesn't talk about order, but I've witnessed that behaviours are very different based on the order of template rules. These differing behaviours are not discussed anywhere that I can find. Partial Conclusion: I'm certain I haven't found near the number of incompatibilities there are, but the above has been enough to greatly impact my productivity and I haven't been able to get further than what I've summarized. As a result of the incompatibilities, I'm writing *all* of my stylesheets for a particular client twice (very painfully), once for the W3C interpretation and once for IE5b2 interpretation, with IE5b2 version being very "by guess and by golly!" because their samples aren't documented and their documentation isn't very explanatory, seeming to assume the user already knows a lot about the Microsoft environment. Most of my IE5b2 "learning" has been wrestling with trial and error. I've used the Microsoft public newsgroups without success, and I've tried to contact Microsoft directly for more information than what is posted at http://www.microsoft.com/workshop/xml/xsl/reference/start.asp and have received only a terse response. While at first one might think they have numerous examples, the examples all exercise a very small subset of XSL element types and almost exclusively follow the method of using actions with SELECT rather than using templates with MATCH. It appears none of them correctly use <xsl:stylesheet> as a root element, though this is not a biggie. >If Microsoft is >listening, please add this to your web site. Yes ... PLEASE!!! ... and since the behaviours are not in alignment with the WD, more explicit documentation would be *greatly* appreciated. Certainly your engineers must have had more to work with than what is available currently through SBN. If more public information is available, then I haven't been able to find it (which, of course, doesn't mean it doesn't exist). I am *very* interested in knowing how to make IE5b2 really show off XSL, because as you (Microsoft) reach your documented "update to match the final recommendation", these interim versions will be very visible to a lot of people. The more you can give us to work successfully with your tool, the more we can do with your tool, and the more that people will get excited about using XSL. Unfortunately, while your proposals are still under consideration by the W3C, the lack of complete documentation and comprehensive examples doesn't help much at all when working with IE5b2 as an outsider. I honestly feel I have been spending an awful lot of unnecessary time trying to grok the XSL in IE5b2, and I'm curious if others have experienced the same problem, or is it just me? If it is just me, then I "have some 'splainin to do" to my customer (as Ricky would say), but from some private comments I've received, I've been pacified it is through no fault of my own. :{)} >Thanks to James Clark for being so responsive to developers' needs by >providing a tool for testing the new Working Draft. Amen! ......... Ken (BCC a few people who may not be on the list; apologies to them if they get duplicates) -- G. Ken Holman mailto:gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Crane Softwrights Ltd. http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/s/ Box 266, V: +1(613)489-0999 Kars, Ontario CANADA K0A-2E0 F: +1(613)489-0995 Training: http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/s/schedule.htm Resources: http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/s/resources.htm Shareware: http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/s/shareware.htm Next XSL Training (see training link): WWW8 - 1999-05-11 XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
Current Thread |
---|
|
<- Previous | Index | Next -> |
---|---|---|
MSIE5b2 compliance with latest XSL-, Paul_Tihansky | Thread | Re: MSIE5b2 compliance with latest , Biron,Paul V |
xsl:apply-imports?, Tyler Baker | Date | ANN: XQL & XSL now supported in new, Michelle Curtis |
Month |