Re: vendor neutral XSL extension namespace ?

Subject: Re: vendor neutral XSL extension namespace ?
From: Tony Graham <tgraham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 6 Nov 1999 14:24:10 -0400 (EST)
At 6 Nov 1999 13:35 GMT, David Carlisle wrote:
 > However there are some useful extensions being implemented,
 > xt's document element to allow multiple output files, the result tree
 > to node set conversions, Saxon's grouping constructs,... 
 > 
 > Would it be possible for XSL implementors to agree on a common extension
 > namespace for some of these (that is explicitly an _experimental_
 > extension and does not imply later acceptance by W3C)
 > 
 > It is unfortunate if stylesheets that could work unchanged on
 > different implementations fail to do so just because of namespace
 > differences in otherwise identical extensions.
 > 
 > If such an agreement could be made it would be useful I think.
 > (Perhaps the kind folks at Mulberry could offer a namespace uri
 > related to the archives for this list?)

A URI for a namespace is possible, but I think that the real question
is whether the developers of XSL software are willing to implement
common functions identically.  You've cited an XT extension and a
Saxon extension, but for the extensions to be part of "Common XSL",
both James and Michael will need to modify their code.  I wouldn't
begin to suggest that either of them is unwilling or unable to write
software that conforms to a standard, but I think that they and other
developers need to sign on to the "Common XSL" idea before anybody
settles on a namespace.

The other side of the question is how do you decide what goes into
"Common XSL" and how often does it change.  I'm sure that most users
welcome the idea of common extensions that will increase
interoperability of their stylesheets and let them use more of other
people's, but who decides what's "common"?

Regards,


Tony Graham
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