[xsl] [xslt 2.0] Local functions

[Justin Johansson <procode@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I'm presuming that many would agree that a programming language
based upon an XML syntax is not pretty.  However we all put up with
XSLT because at the end of the day it does a damm good job with text
processing despite the tedium.

To that end, I'm working on a translator from a language with a higher level
syntax (ie. either reduced XML or no XML at all) into XSLT 2.0.
The translator itself is an XSLT stylesheet, though eventually the translator
itself will be written in the language of the higher level syntax.

It occurs to me that it is possible to simulate local functions in XSLT 2.0
(which effectively could be declared inside xsl:template and xsl:function
elements
and the local function elements themselves).

Now, given that it can be done, question is :-

Would it be desirable if XSLT 2.0 were to support local functions?

Justin Johansson
Freelance XML / XSLT / XQuery Developer
Australia

procode(at)tpg(dot)com(dot)au