Re: Requirements draft

[Kent Fitch <fit106@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Prescod wrote:
> I'm curious about one point:
> 
> "User Defined Functions 
>
>          For reuse. Parameterized, but not recursive."
>
> Does anyone know what that means? Are we talking about a function call
> mechansim *other than* the one defined in ECMAScript? and also different
> from Flow Object Macros?

We've been doing quite a bit with the MSXSL tool, and I have been
suprised/dismayed how useful/required the "escape to script" function has
been.  Maybe with more inbuilt functions and greater scope, this won't be
as necessary with the forthcoming XSL spec. 

However, people being what they are, we always invent and justify new
requirements and for this reason I think "escape to *powerful* script" is
essential.  I'd be very happy if plain old Java was to be specified as the
script language for these reasons: 

- it is general purpose
- it is widely implemented and available
- it is widely used and known
- it contains the mechanisms to compile the language dynamically ans
  easily
- fast implementations are becoming available
- functions such as strong typing, O-O and exception handling are
  really useful when you start implementing larger scripts


Kent Fitch                           Ph: +61 2 6276 6711
ITS  CSIRO  Canberra  Australia      kent.fitch@xxxxxxxxxxxx


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