RE: [xsl] XSLT Architecture: Next Step

Subject: RE: [xsl] XSLT Architecture: Next Step
From: "Mark Seaborne" <MSeaborne@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 14:24:40 +0100
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Claudio Russo [mailto:crusso@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: 03 July 2003 13:11
> To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [xsl] XSLT Architecture: Next Step
> 
> 
> I've been looking at Didier's article, 
> http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2000/04/19/style/index.html, and I 
> found it very usefull. Now I have some opinions that brought 
> to my attention.
> 
> From what I read on it and previously in other articles about 
> the subject, my first impression was that XSLT pourpose was 
> to perform the presentation of data in a browser or cel phone 
> or whatever (which is also well explained on Didier's 
> article). While doing this, one could preserve the logic of 
> extracting and calculation to the server, in which ever is 
> the language that somebody likes to work, from let's say, an 
> RDB/IMS/VSAM to a XML structure. This way the resulting data 
> was transfered to the client machine, where an XSLT schema 
> presented in the way the view device need it (HTML/WAP/Voice).
> 
> Now, from the msgs I see on the list I see that people 
> pretend to use XSLT for whatever they figure out (maybe also 
> for cooking). 
> 
> The question is (or are): Do you share these views?

Speaking as one, fairly long-term user of XSLT I would say that I certainly don't always use XSLT to produce presentation. However, I do normally use it to transform the structures containing information, rather than to transform the information itself. It is not always possible to make such a clean distinction, but it serves pretty well. I have to say that I came to the idea that is often better not to mix transformation of structure with transformation of content when working with EDI systems a few years ago. So I agree pretty much with your statement, with the caveat that the transform doesn't necessarily have to be for the benefit of a presentation layer.

All the best

Mark Seaborne

 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list


Current Thread