Re: A would-be user's first XSL experience (long)

[Todd Fahrner <fahrner@xxxxxxxxx>]

Paul Prescod wrote:

> > I certainly agree. And I'm hearing from you that I must compile and
> > use a command line program to "get started" with this language
> > designed (among other things) to appeal to non-programmers. Is my
> > point so obscure?
>
> At this point in XSL's development? Yes. If you want a GUI then you may
> have to lag behind the latest and greatest specs.

Personally, I'd be grudgingly content with a precompiled 
console-style app for Mac - a very prominent platform in the 
professional Web design and development industry, to say nothing of 
print. There are many others with some understanding of markup, 
however, for whom any console app will be a little steep.

Note that I have not been criticizing the usability of XSL per se, as 
Michael has - I'm still quite open-minded on that point. I have been 
suggesting that a significantly larger part of XSL's potential users 
might be able to evaluate XSL on its merits if the current "compile 
it yourself, use a Win32 console app, or WinIE5" conditions of 
investigation are broadened. It's unfortunate that XSL is being 
attacked publicly with such broad rhetorical strokes with these 
barriers in place. [I know the overall statistics, but it still 
appears to me that among those superficial, media-centric Web 
developers who work above the application layer, easily half prefer 
Macs. Easily 2/3 in San Francisco's and New York's silicon 
gulch/alley.]

News: back at work, after another 90 minutes or so of trying 
unsuccessfully to compile on the Mac, and after coaxing a local Linux 
guy to try chasing down and compiling all the required components 
(preliminaries to an HTML/CGI front end), I broke down and got James 
Clark's Win32 executable. I can edit files on the Mac on an 
NFS-mounted volume and point the binary at same. Awkward, but less so 
than using an unfamiliar editor in a (personally) disagreeable 
environment.

I still think a Web front end is a good idea. It will let me do a 
little intra-organizational evangucation if it turns out to be as 
useful as I expect. I'll pursue on my own.


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