RE: alternative XSL style sheets

["Didier PH Martin" <martind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,
<YourComment>
In a recent message, mention was made of alternative style sheets. I have
been trying this without success. Can someone please explain how this should
work (from the users perspective) and is it implemented in IE5 ?
</YourComment>

<Reply>
It is working in IE for either css or XSL. The actual algorithm is that IE
takes the first processing instruction that works. So if you placed a PI
pointing to a XSL file first, this is that file that will be used. If you
had the Talva SGML/XMLKit, on top of CSS and XSL you have also the choice of
dsssl style sheet. Again, even with the addition of a MIME filter that act
as a style sheet router, the algorithm is the same, the first recognized PI
is used. So, if you place a PI pointing to a dsssl file in the first
position that file will be used, if it is a XSL, the xsl file will be used,
etc...

So IE stand alone recognize these PI and pick the first one supported by the
browser:
<?xml:stylesheet href="myscript.css" type="text/css"?>
<?xml:stylesheet href="myscript.css" type="text/xsl"?>
note that it is using the old notation. Now the PI should be starting with
<?xml-stylesheet....

With Talva SGML/XMLKit you have a third choice with the same algorithm
<?xml:stylesheet href="myscript.css" type="text/css"?>
<?xml:stylesheet href="myscript.css" type="text/xsl"?>
<?xml-stylesheet href="myscript.dsl" type="text/dsssl"?> or <?xml:stylesheet
href="myscript.dsl" type="text/dsssl"?>

You can also choose the output format to be seen in place in the browser
with the addition of a media property (actually only the format property is
recognized but next Friday build will include the media property)
so, if you want the output to be rtf you can specify this in the PI and the
resultant rtf file can be seen in the browser with the help of either word
or word viewer. The next build will allow you also a pdf output displayed
with the pdf viewer. So you can specify you output with:
<?xml-stylesheet href="myscript.dsl" type="text/dsssl" media="screen,rtf"?>
or <?xml-stylesheet href="myscript.dsl" type="text/dsssl"
media="screen,tex"?> or <?xml-stylesheet href="myscript.dsl"
type="text/dsssl" media="screen,mif"?> or <?xml-stylesheet
href="myscript.dsl" type="text/dsssl" media="screen,pdf"?>

So, in IE the first valid PI recognized is used by the browser and its
helper components. With IE stand alone only CSS and XSL styles sheets are
recognized with the addition of the XML/SGMLKit dsssl is recognized as well.
With CSS and XSL processor the output is HTML+CSS with the dsssl processor
the output could be: tex, mif, rtf, HTML+CSS and very soon pdf. The Talva
XML/SGMLKit can be found at the Netfolder site.
</Reply>

Regards
Didier PH Martin
mailto:martind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.netfolder.com




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