Re: Help Wanted: DSSSL Analyst

[James Clark <jjc@xxxxxxxxxx>]

My guess would be that the performance problem comes from applying
node-list-filter to node-lists that include text.  DSSSL treats each
character as a single node.  Usually Jade can optimize things to
maintain that illusion whilst actually dealing with groups of adjacent
characters as a single block.  Anything that inhibits this optimization
can run very slowly.  Typically the easiest way not to inhibit the
optimization is to use select-by-class around the argument to
node-list-filter, eg

(node-list-filter foo (select-by-class nl 'element))

Chris Maden wrote:
> 
> I am trying to implement DSSSL in a production environment for print
> publishing.  I am using Jade with the SGML backend to produce MIF,
> which is then printed from Frame.  This allows professional-quality
> printing (which Word simply can't provide), while keeping the source
> managed in SGML.
> 
> It works well in theory; I've finally got the output into our standard
> template (and the forthcoming _DocBook: The Definitive Guide_
> exercises it thoroughly).
> 
> However, it's SLOW!  S, L...   O......
> 
> I know my DSSSL pretty well, but I don't have any formal computer
> theory training.  I'm sure that someone else could spend some time
> with my code and find a number of ways to tighten it up.
> 
> It wasn't bad until I added a lot of (node-list-filter)s to avoid
> producing blank paragraphs when (e.g.) a list was the last thing
> inside a paragraph.  I don't know a way to avoid the
> (node-list-filter)s, but there may be a way to reduce the number of
> times they're called.
> 
> Please contact me with proposals.
> 
> Thanks,
> Chris
> 
> ....... W.  Oh, it finally finished.  That's what it's like.
> --
> <!NOTATION SGML.Geek PUBLIC "-//Anonymous//NOTATION SGML Geek//EN">
> <!ENTITY crism PUBLIC "-//O'Reilly//NONSGML Christopher R. Maden//EN"
> "<URL>http://www.oreilly.com/people/staff/crism/ <TEL>+1.617.499.7487
> <USMAIL>90 Sherman Street, Cambridge, MA 02140 USA" NDATA SGML.Geek>
> 
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