Re: evaluate() function in XPath 2.0 (Was: Re: [xsl] Lookup (?))

[Jeni Tennison <jeni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jeff Kenton wrote:
>> At present the decision is to exclude the evaluate() function from the XSLT
>> 2.0 specification.
>> 
>> > You say that the evaluate() function isn't going to be included in the
>> > *core* function library, but is it likely to be included as an
>> > optional part of XSLT? Even if not all processors implemented it, we'd
>> > still benefit from a standard definition for those that did.
>
> Are there differences between the various implementations now?

It's hard to tell from the documentation from the various
implementations, since generally the extension evaluate() functions
aren't defined particularly precisely.

But the reason that we'd benefit from a standard definition is not so
much to do with the way the function is defined, but more to do with
the namespace of the function. Currently, the fact that different
implementations support evaluate() functions in different namespaces
makes it fiddly writing portable stylesheets, even if the functions
are identical in every other way.

That said, at least user-defined functions and the presence of a
conditional expression will make it a little easier to write portable
code in XSLT 2.0.

Cheers,

Jeni

---
Jeni Tennison
http://www.jenitennison.com/


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