Re: [xsl] The output of evaluating an XSLT transform is the same regardless of the order in which output elements are evaluated. Right?

Subject: Re: [xsl] The output of evaluating an XSLT transform is the same regardless of the order in which output elements are evaluated. Right?
From: Wendell Piez <wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 11:58:41 -0400
At 08:13 AM 4/13/2010, David wrote:
But the main point is, asking what the processor is doing is just teh wrong question if the intention is to understand XSLT, it's only teh right question to ask if you are trying to optimise for time or space, in which case it is a processor specific question and not related to general XSLT semantics.

Not infrequently (maybe even on this list) I've compared it to dining in a restaurant vs cooking a meal for oneself.


I actually don't care whether the onions were chopped before the parsley, or even whether the bouillabaise was made yesterday or an hour ago, as long as it's tasty. I do want things to be prepared properly and correctly, and presented in the correct order and proportions.

Along lines Ken suggests, knowing something about how this restaurant uses fresh ingredients or makes their pasta by hand may be useful in choosing a restaurant. But as a diner I generally don't have the option of dictating how a dish is prepared. Nor do I mind how the chef does it, as long as it's what I asked for.

In my own kitchen, suddenly order of execution becomes a concern. And that's "procedural" not "declarative".

And just so, if knowing more about how food is cooked makes me a better diner, it's because I understand better how to respect and communicate with the restaurant staff, not because I will now give them instructions in how to make my souffle.

Cheers,
Wendell



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Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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