[xsl] (newbie) Advice on using database or XSLT for formatting?

["Glen Mazza" <grm7790@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hello,

I'm using Apache FOP to generate a PDF report from data in an Oracle
database.  Xalan is the XSLT processor I'm using.  This data consists of
many Oracle number and date datatypes, as well as some char/varchar2 fields.

I notice that I have two options with respect to formatting:  I can use
format-number() and extension EXSLT methods for formatting dates.  Or, I can
do the same within the Oracle database while querying the information (i.e.,
use the Oracle TO_CHAR function to get numbers and dates formatted as I
desire.)

Are there any general guidelines, rules-of-thumb in terms of where I should
do element formatting--database or stylesheet?

Thanks,
Glen