Re: template matching.. display the data

[Guy_Murphy@xxxxxxxxxx]

Hi Marcus.

Well, one we get to philosophical matters, we can only express subjective
opinions....

What happens in front of the users eyes is down to the user agent, and to
the largest degree possible the controler of that user agent. Traditional
development places all the control at the back. The history of Web
development pushes as much of that control the the front as possible. It is
for this reason that the smart Web developer *makes least possible
assumptions about what will occur downstream, or the environment that might
be there*.

I confess that much of what I do cuts across that ideal, but would
definately support it as a "good thing".

I take well your point about the provider of the data knowing best and in
the kindest possible way would say "blah!"

I want needs met, I beleieve that I know best how to go about meeting those
needs. I don't want a vendor patronising me, and insisting *they* know
best. If I want the vendors input, I'll ask for it. In this instance if I
want your stylsheet I'll use it, if not, out the window it goes.

An example of this might be that Jon Bosak did a wonderful job of
marking-up The Complete Works of Shakespeare. Now if somehow the chaps
vision of how it would be styled was hard coded with it, that would be th
end to it's reuse. Nice to read, but end of developmental use.

I have produced two wildly different apps out of his work, both using
completely different stylesheets, both using multiple styleheets to present
different functional views of that data. The developmental use of Jons work
goes on and on.

The reason for this is because anybody downstream can do what they like
with it.

As a final point, a core paradigm of XML is the divorcement of data mark-up
from data presentation. To the person marking up the data who insists on
stipilating presentational use I say "mind your own business" :)

Cheers
     Guy Murphy
     guy_murphy@xxxxxxxxxx
     http://www.guy-murphy.easynet.co.uk





xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx on 03/25/99 05:19:22 PM

To:   xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
cc:    (bcc: Guy Murphy/UK/MAID)
Subject:  Re: template matching.. display the data





Does anyone have a philosophical position on the wisdom of stylesheets
being
written by the ultimate consumers of the data in order to impose a view
that
they believe to be appropriate? I believe that determinations of how the
data
can best be used should be left to one who understands the entire
structure,
much the way database reports are used. Any comments?

--
Regards,
Marcus Carr                      email:  mrc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
___________________________________________________________________
Allette Systems (Australia)      www:    http://www.allette.com.au
___________________________________________________________________
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
       - Einstein


 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list






 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list