[xsl] RE: Are there things missing in XSLT which force people to use, say, Java to process XML?

["Costello, Roger L." <costello@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Folks,

Excellent replies! Thank you. Below is my summary of your responses.  /Roger

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I pondered these questions:

    Why do developers use Java to process XML?
    XSLT is custom-made to process XML, so why
    do developers continue to use Java?

I asked some smart people and got these insightful responses:

1. XSLT uses a functional programming model, which requires a mindset for
which there is a lack of widespread programmer support.

2. Developers erroneously believe that XSLT is not a full-blown programming
language and using extension functions is the only way to perform many tasks.

3. There is a skills-based inertia - developers do not invest the time to
learn new tricks.

4. Projects don't adapt to architectural drift - a project starts out being
90% things that Java is good at, and 10% XML processing, so Java is quite
reasonably adopted; and then the balance slowly drifts, but there is never a
good time to switch horses.

5. The above factors, when combined with a project full of Java developers,
results in Java development, even as the project starts doing more and more
XML.