Subject: RE: [xsl] Stuck on Name() and variable From: "Michael Kay" <michael.h.kay@xxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: Tue, 6 Aug 2002 23:11:55 +0100 |
> Not knowing the complete design or the system requirements or > what XML is used for within this system makes it difficult to > draw sweeping generalizes about a design. I would say that being detached from it and seeing it from a distance makes it much easier. You don't have to take my advice but I would strongly recommend it: you are building your house on quicksand. I have seen a £5m project delayed by three months because it exploited a feature in a Microsoft XML parser that allowed </> as a shorthand for XML closing tags. When Microsoft fixed this non-conformance to the XML standard, the project had to negotiate changes with half-a-dozen subcontractors. Standards matter, and you ignore them at your peril. Michael Kay Software AG home: Michael.H.Kay@xxxxxxxxxxxx work: Michael.Kay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > Worrying about whether MS will no longer preserve document > order in attributes in their next release is of far less > concern then worrying if they are going to quietly change the > way events are handled in IE. They have done the later, but > not the former. Yes, it is not garneted that MS will not > make such a change, but there are no guarantees in life. > > The performance hit that would impact this system to move to > referencing attributes in a DOM by name instead of by index > is tremendous. The performance hit is in Dll and script > files. Such a decrease in performance is viewed by the > global user base for this application as unacceptable. The > only location there is any concern in the system is two > transformations (soon to be down to 1). In all other cases > the information flows directly from database stored > procedures. Unless there is going to be a radical change to > the way queries are run to no longer enforce field order to > be what the query stated, then there is no concern there. > The impact of that kind of a change is far reaching and would > require all kinds of changes to SQL standards. The > transformations are an easier way to get the data pre-built > and avoid a number of string concatenation events in a dll. > They are by no means a cornerstone of the application. This > was not a decision made lightly, it was one made on > probabilities. It is unlikely that MS will make a change to > randomize the order of attributes output by a transformation, > so that makes the work effort involved in coding around a > remote possibility extremely difficult to justify. Simply > because it would be preferable does not make the cut when the > bottom line is cost. > > Along those same lines are some of the properties available > in MSXML, these are not part of a standard, but does that > mean you should not use them? MSXML is a tool, using what the > tool provides and knowing what the tool does allows best use > of that tool for a given situation. That doesn't mean the > tool won't change over time, but it does mean that you have > to be aware of the pluses and minuses of using any aspect of any tool. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > [mailto:owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Michael Kay > Sent: 6. august 2002 11:50 > To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx > Subject: RE: [xsl] Stuck on Name() and variable > > > > I know that this does not follow standards set for XML. > The order of > > attributes in this case is well defined. This is an > internal process > > handling internally generated data. The processes that handle > > externally generated data do not make any assumptions on attribute > > order. To the external world the standards are generally > followed. > > Internally, to handle data population and display, > attribute order is > > very tightly controlled. It was a design decision made roughly 2 > > years ago. I have no worries about attribute order, SQL Server and > > MSXML don't alter attribute order. I try to make sure all > > developers on staff are aware that we are making use of a > > behavior that is not part of a standard. > > You should also be aware that no vendor will make a > commitment to maintain such behavior across releases. I think > this is an appallingly bad design decision. > > Michael Kay > Software AG > home: Michael.H.Kay@xxxxxxxxxxxx > work: Michael.Kay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx > > > XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list > > > XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list > XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
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