Re: [xsl] Things that make you go Hmmmm!

[Michael Sokolov <msokolov@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 3/29/2014 10:05 AM, Abel Braaksma (Exselt) wrote:
> xsl:copy-of allows deep-copying of a selected node (I would agree with
> Liam here, if this was named xsl:deep-copy, it would have been easier to
> memorize, but this name is here since XSLT 1.0, so there is little we
> can do about that now). A deep-copy means an immediate copy of the
I take this - that this is all old and decided and not going to change 
now - as your most significant point (but thanks for the full explanation!)

However, in hindsight, I suppose one might argue that an empty 
<xsl:copy> ought to function identically to <xsl:copy-of> (perform a 
deep copy).  Then you could do (almost) everything they both do now with 
a single instruction. That would simplify things neatly.  It would make 
it harder to create an empty node with the same name as the current node 
- but there are other ways to do that, and it's not a common need I think.

-Mike