Re: [xsl] Applying XSL transformation to non-xml (but fixed structure) file

[Michael Kay <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 02/06/2010 15:07, Ruud Grosmann wrote:
> Ruud Grosmann wrote:
> > Christian Schouten wrote:
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > I need to apply an XSL transformation to a non-xml file that has a 
> > > fixed
> > > structure.
> > > The goal is to read in the file, add/edit/delete a record and write it
> > > back.
> >
> >
> > hoi Christian,
> >
> > ik antwoord je even rechtstreeks, want ik vloek niet graag in de kerk 
> > (de xsl-gemeenschap). Mijn eerste reactie is de vraag waarom iemand 
> > een xml tool zou willen gebruiken voor niet-xml-input. Waarom niet 
> > een simpel perl- of ruby-scriptje maken (of een andere taal naar 
> > keuze)?. Levert een fractie op van de code die je anders nodig hebt. 
> > Bovendien gebruik je het juiste hulpmiddel voor de juiste taak.
> >
> > Heb je een reden dat je dat perse via xslt wilt?
> >
> > groeten, Ruud
>
> Sorry list,
>
> I meant to send this message off list to Christian, that's why it is 
> not in English.
> Anyway, I suggested him to consider to use a tool like perl or ruby. 
> Why use an xml tool for non xml input?

Thanks, I enjoyed deciphering your mail and I think I got the gist of 
it. ("My first reaction is to ask why anyone an XML tool would want to 
use for non-XML-input..") The answer is that if it's simple structured 
data, XSLT is quite capable of handling it, and the other capabilities 
of XSLT (pattern matching, XML output generation, etc) might well make 
it the most suitable tool. But if you're writing a parser for a 
recursive language, then despite Dimitre's herculean efforts to 
demonstrate that it *can* be done in XSLT, I would agree that probably 
it *should not* be done in XSLT, but instead should be pre-processed 
into XML using some other language.

Michael Kay
Saxonica