RE: Future XSLT expansion.

Subject: RE: Future XSLT expansion.
From: "Didier PH Martin" <martind@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 2000 06:53:04 -0500
Hi David,


Didier
> So, basically, the proposal is to include the node-set() function in the
> next recommendation

David said:
No. Paul's proposal is to add a parse-string-as-xml() function. This is
essentially nothing at all like node-set() as it currently exists in
xt/saxon/xalan extension namespaces.

Didier replies:
Thanks for the translation. I am confused if this is to resolve the
xsl:variable issue or as general purpose mechanism. I do not think that this
could resolve the xsl:variable issue and on the other hand, this is
basically what the document() function is doing. To expand the
string-to-node-set() function to any kind of text files is not easy to
reach, at least, in a standard way. What is the concrete situation where do
you see that this function could be applied and be defined in a standard
way? Sorry, I do not see it.

David said:
All conforming processors treat non empty variable and parameter
elements as constructing result tree fragments, and empty variable
and parameter elements as constructing node sets (or other types such as
boolean, string or number).

MSXSL is currently experimenting with having these non empty forms
construct node sets, but hopefully it will conform by the time it comes
out of `preview' release.

Didier replies:
Yes this is what I got in mind (msxml vs the other compliant engines) I do
not know about how msxml will evolve but, by experimenting with the actual
behavior this can help me to distinguish if and how, having a returned
node-set can:
- have bad side effects,
- help do things not possible with compliant engines and what are these
things and if these things are useful or not.
- the impact on speed
- the impact on the clarity of the mental model newbies can build and
expect.
- and other impacts I may discover by simply putting attention to this
issue.

Cheers
Didier PH Martin
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