RE: [xsl] MSXML5 suport XSLT2? [Slightly OT]

["Lars Huttar" <lars_huttar@xxxxxxx>]

Rob Rohan wrote:
> I have done a bit of development with VC++6.0 and .Net (cut me some
> slack I needed the money!) - the difference between the two 
> seems to be
> an underlying platform change. So I think you can read the statement
> more like - we wont update windows3.11 to do xslt2.0 - I don't see him
> saying Microsoft will not support xslt2.0 only MSXML will not.

OK, thanks.

> > I wonder if this means that most people running Windows 
> will not have access to XSLT 2.0, ever. 
> They already have access to it (well, inasmuch as Saxon has 
> implemented it)

But unfortunately most users who are not in computer fields will never
take the time to install Saxon, then figure out how to run it and view the output.

Charles Knell wrote:
> Counting on your audience to have a version of their browser 
> that supports anything more than the features available one 
> or two generations behind is a losing proposition. You will 
> never have that kind of assurance, nor will you ever be able 
> to control it.

But eventually, XSLT 1.0 support *will* be a feature available
one or two generations behind, so I should eventually be able to
count on it to a reasonable degree.
I was hoping the same would eventually be true for XSLT 2.0.
But from what Dion Houston says, I shouldn't count on it. :-(

> You are far more likely to succeed if you take charge of the 
> things you can control, namely: your server software, and 
> manage the transformations from there. Then you can send HTML 
> to your users' browsers and feel fairly confident that they 
> will see what you intended.

I agree that's a good idea where it can be done; where I can
control a server, for example. However, say I want to be able to
distribute software to people that lets them create and maintain certain
kinds of XML documents and then view them in different ways with stylesheets
that come with the package.
Some of what I'm working on / planning to do is aimed at linguists in the
field, where web access to a server is not always available or convenient.
I want portable documents that don't have to be viewed on my server.
Granted, I could distribute a free XSLT engine with my software and set
up a framework to run it for them and display the results.
That is an option. (Then I take on the issue of making sure users get
any bug fixes that are issued for the XSLT engine...)

But it would be much nicer if they could just double-click on their
XML file, without starting my application, and lo-and-behold it comes
up in their browser looking pretty.

It may take a few years for that to become realistic for XSLT 2.0.
I'm willing to wait. But it would be nice to know if I would be waiting
in vain!

Lars


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