Re: [xsl] Keys with duplicates should be simple

[Ihe Onwuka <ihe.onwuka@xxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 8:41 PM, Wendell Piez <wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Ihe,
>
>>> http://www.biglist.com/lists/lists.mulberrytech.com/xsl-list/archives/201211/msg00170.html
>
> Indeed. You are not the only one to find 'except' to be contrary to
> what you expect, in view of its natural-language usage in English.
> (D*mned prepositions.)
>
> When reading XPath, my brain more or less automatically assumes
> everything is a relative path from the context node (that is, it
> traverses the tree relatively until an absolute path is given), so I
> mentally translate ($a except $b) as "my $a except my $b". So "my $a
> except my 'blah' element children" ($a except blah) doesn't freak me
> out.
>



Some see a programming language purely as a means of getting things
done thus are willing to "play computer" if a programming language or
language feature requires them to.

I like to think of a programming language as a means of expressing
ideas. That is why for me - the spec said so is not by itself a good
enough answer.

 I reject/avoid languages and features whose implementation doesn't
give me a sufficiently proximate representation (and thats a personal
judgement) of the idea I am expressing. That would include things that
require me to suspend how I think a humane would normally parse an
expression in order to conform with the way the language implements it
 - which is a more elaborate way of saying languages and features that
require me to play computer.

Not saying others are wrong - because it's a source of  tension on the
list - thats just what I do.