[xsl] Treat any template as a function

[Brian Smith <blsmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am using the EXSLT Function module a lot. But, I'm wondering why it is 
necessary. Why can't XSLT processors allow users to call templates using 
normal function notation. Is this something that is planned for XSLT 
2.0? Personally, I don't see any obvious value in distinguishing between 
functions and templates (a template is just a function that returns an 
RTF, and an RTF is just a special type of node-set).

For example, the following two stylesheet fragments should, IMO, be 
equivilent, given a template like this:
   ...
   <xsl:template name='bls:my-template'>
      <xsl:param name='param1'/>
      <xsl:param name='param2'/>
   </xsl:template>
   ...

(1)
   ...
   <xsl:variable name='var'>
     <xsl:call-template name='bls:my-template'>
       <xsl:with-param name='param1' select='...'/>
       <xsl:with-param name='param2' select='...'/>
     </xsl:call-template>
   </xsl:variable>
   <xsl:value-of select='$var/*'/>
   ...
(2):
   ...
   <xsl:value-of select='bls:my-template(param1, param2)'/>
   ...

Along similar lines, has anybody written a stylesheet that can do these 
transformations on a stylesheet:
   1. Transform all named templates (without match patterns)
      into EXSLT functions?
   2. Transform all <call-template> elements that call these
      functions into <xsl:value-of> elements that cal them?

Thanks,
Brian


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