RE: [xsl] Help: Reasons to use XML/XSL ?

Subject: RE: [xsl] Help: Reasons to use XML/XSL ?
From: "Amir Yiron" <amir@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 19 May 2004 16:45:15 +0200
I think it's an adventage when all the involved languages are based on the same (XML) convention:
The data description (XML), the transformation (XSLT) and the output GUI (XHTML).
It's easier to play with XHTML and apply the changes to the XSLT - comparing to integration to
any scripting language. When using XSLT, the original XHTML tags stay "as is".
Therefor, it's easier to understand the XHTML within the XSLT doc, than from a script.

Another advantage is that you can run the transformation (XSLT) in the client (web browser) side,
and that you have the best separation of the data and view (you can test transformation on your XML test files
without the need for any server/database...)

-- Amir

-----Original Message-----
From: Jarrell Dunson [mailto:Jarrell_Dunson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 3:16 PM
To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [xsl] Help: Reasons to use XML/XSL ?


Hey, 

Thanks ahead of time to each of you for reading this. 
 
I'm an XSD, XML, XSLT Newbie....and am trying to learn the process.
However, I really need some input - not from a programming perspective,
but from a philosophy and usage perspective. 


For instance, I'm a current user and programmer of Perl...using SQL, CGI,
and Perl DBI for pulling information from an Informix Relational Database.
 I'm able to pull data out of a database quite easily...via Perl
DBI/SQL...and format it with Perl into quality HTML pages. ..and the
process is rather efficient.  

For HTML, I can build the pages via wriing the code myself, or using Perl
script, etc,  I can also, at times, use a text editor (or text editor
assistant / html formatter) to build basic html and modify it as needed. 
[Instead of coding a table by hand, for example, I'll use an editor
assistant (such as Dreamweaver, or Notetab) to create all the code for a
3x4 table...and then modify and/or populate the HTML as needed]. 

So for this process, I'm going from database ...via Perl script...to HTML.


In learning XSD, XML, XSLT, however, I just don't see the advantage of it?
 What more does XSD, XML, XSLT give me as a programmer? 


For me to do the same steps....to go from a database to web page, it seems
to me that I have to take three [or four] more major steps...each
involving a more complicated process. From my beginner perspective, I have
to build a XSD...and then a matching XML - based upon the XSD (validating,
etc.).  For output, I have build the output leg, XSLT (transforming the
XML, etc)....to get the same results.  I just don't see the advantage.
 
In my current programming, I'm using one scripting process
	
	DATABASE -->  [1] Perl/DBI (using SQL) --> To HTML/Web Page


In using XML, I need  three (or four) processes: 
  
	[1] Build XSD first.  Then:  DATABASE --> [2] Perl/DBI (using SQL) --> To
XML.  Then, 
	[3] Build an XSLT --> [4] Transform the XML via XSLT --> HTML/Web page


Isn't this far more complicated? 

Granted, I could see advantages if I were outputting my data in different
ways...say, one of my outputs was for the Internet, another for a PDA,
another for an RSS feed....etc.

OR, I could possibly see  advantages [per the claims I've heard from big
corporations] if I were a great business enterprise...and all my data
needed to be standard...and I needed to use my own mark-up language -
though I'm not fully convinced of this. 

But for simple processes....from database to web, I just don't get it  It
seems far more complicated, and [other than buiiding my resume skills]
raises the question if it's worth...  

So, for an uneducated newbie, can you help?  I've learned XSD...and
XML...and am working on the XSLT, but I haven't seen enough to "buy into
it".  What's the real benefit of learning and using XSD, XML, AND XSLT?  -
especially over a simple process like Perl/DBI....and why ? 




THANK YOU ahead of time, 

Jarrell
 


Jarrell R. Dunson, III
Asbury Theological Seminary
Administrative Computing Coordinator
Jarrell_Dunson@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(859) 858-2379 (direct)
(859) 858-2330 (fax)

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