Re: [xsl] The output of evaluating an XSLT transform is the same regardless of the order in which output elements are evaluated. Right?

[David Carlisle <davidc@xxxxxxxxx>]

On 13/04/2010 13:01, Syd Bauman wrote:
> Interesting stuff. One way to think of this may be in terms of OPs
> initial example. Here's a take on it, which I present both as
> explanation and for correction.
>
>   <xsl:variable name="hw">
>     <xsl:text>Hello</xsl:text>
>     <xsl:text>World</xsl:text>
>   </xsl:variable>
>   <xsl:value-of select="$hw"/>
>
> An XSLT processor should spit out the string "HelloWorld", but
> whether it generates that string by
>
> * take text node `Hello`
>    take text node `World`, stick it *after* `Hello`
>
> OR
>
> * take text node `World`
>    take text node `Hello`, stick it *before* `World`
>
> is entirely up to the processor.

It needn't (and probably won't) generate any text nodes at all.
If the template is writing to the principal output, and that output is 
being serialised, then the processor probably just serialises it 
directly without ever generating a tree of nodes in memory.

But the main point is, asking what the processor is doing is just teh 
wrong question if the intention is to understand XSLT, it's only teh 
right question to ask if you are trying to optimise for time or space, 
in which case it is a processor specific question and not related to 
general XSLT semantics.

David


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