Subject: RE: XML Transformation Language (was Re: removing HTML flow obje cts?) From: Rob McDougall <RMcDouga@xxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Wed, 27 May 1998 09:42:44 -0400 |
Paul, I don't see how you can view applying styles to a document as a transformation, but changing an (albeit structured) flat file into a database is not. I can't speak to the DSSSL flow objects, but the HTML flow objects in the original XSL submission definitely DO overlap all over the place (HTML tables have <TABLE><TD></TD></TABLE>, not to mention everything occurs within a <BODY>). I agree that every database will have XML import, but think for a moment about what this entails. Will the structure of the data being imported *always* match the structure of the database? Will it even *usually* match the structure of the database? If the two structures do not match (which I believe will be the most common case), then how will the user specify rules to transform the data's structure? Sure they could code up some Java, C++ or Python. Couldn't you say the same thing for transforming XML into HTML? I think the principles are exactly the same, merely the end result is different. All applications that read "generic" XML will need the ability to transform the structure of the incoming XML to match the structure they need. I think it would be highly advantageous if there was a standard transformation language. Rob -----Original Message----- From: Paul Prescod [mailto:papresco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 1998 6:58 PM To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: XML Transformation Language (was Re: removing HTML flow obje cts?) Rob McDougall wrote: > > Let's say I have a database product and I wish to import any XML > document. Now being considerate of my customer's needs, I want to > leverage some industry standard if I can. I notice that XSL allows > someone to specify a series of patterns/rules to route the content into > "flow objects". This sounds like just the ticket. I can define a few > DB related "flow objects" e.g. table, row, column. I agree that there should be a simple transformation language, but database import is not transformation, in my opinion. Rows and columns are not a flow object. Flow objects do not overlap in the way that rows and columns do. Within a couple of years, every database will have XML import, so XSL will not be very relevant. In the meantime, you can accomplish the same thing in a few lines of Java, C++ or Python code. I don't know why you would want to use XSL in that situation. Paul Prescod - http://itrc.uwaterloo.ca/~papresco Three things to be wary of: A new kid in his prime A man who knows the answers, and code that runs first time http://www.geezjan.org/humor/computers/threes.html XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
Current Thread |
---|
|
<- Previous | Index | Next -> |
---|---|---|
RE: XML Transformation Language (wa, G. Ken Holman | Thread | Re: XML Transformation Language (wa, Paul Prescod |
Re: XSL formatting model, Frank Boumphrey | Date | RE: XML Transformation Language (wa, Rob McDougall |
Month |