Re: [xsl] XSLT3.0: Question about shadow attributes and the possibility to supply value to a static parameter

["Dimitre Novatchev dnovatchev@xxxxxxxxx" <xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, Nov 21, 2014 at 1:51 AM, Michael Kay <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> We ought really to make a more careful distinction between "visibility to
the calling application" and "visibility to a using package".
> Stylesheet parameters are not visible to a using package (because we want to
allow packages to be compiled independently of each other),
> but they are visible to the calling application (because otherwise they
would be pointless).

What if the value of a static stylesheet parameter was used to make
compile-time decisions (as in the "use-when" attribute on an
"xsl:import" declaration)? Wouldn't providing by the caller a
different value for this static parameter require a new compilation of
the already compiled package?

Cheers,
Dimitre

On Fri, Nov 21, 2014 at 1:51 AM, Michael Kay mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx
<xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> We ought really to make a more careful distinction between "visibility to
the calling application" and "visibility to a using package". Stylesheet
parameters are not visible to a using package (because we want to allow
packages to be compiled independently of each other), but they are visible to
the calling application (because otherwise they would be pointless).
>
> The two ideas are related, for example we only allow the application to
invoke a named template or a function as an entry point if it has public (or
final) visibility, but they are not identical.
>
> Michael Kay
> Saxonica
> mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> +44 (0) 118 946 5893
>
>
>
>
> On 21 Nov 2014, at 06:37, Dimitre Novatchev dnovatchev@xxxxxxxxx
<xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> In section  3.14.2 "Shadow Attributes"  the 2nd example: "Example:
>> Using Shadow Attributes to Parameterize Selection of Elements", shows
>> how to produce a report giving information about selected employees.
>> The predicate defining which employees are to be included in the
>> report is supplied (as a string containing an XPath expression) in a
>> static stylesheet parameter.
>>
>> A note at the end of the example contains this text:
>>
>> "The stylesheet function local:filter is used here in preference to
>> direct use of the supplied predicate within the select attribute of
>> the xsl:apply-templates instruction because it reduces exposure to
>> code injection attacks".
>>
>> Because "injection attacks" are said to be possible, this means that
>> it is assumed that the value of the static stylesheet parameter will
>> be supplied by the initiator of the transformation.
>>
>> However, in other parts of the specification
>> (http://www.w3.org/TR/2014/WD-xslt-30-20141002/#static-params), it is
>> postulated, that the visibility of a static parameter must always be
>> private.
>>
>> My question is:  Is the expectation that it is possible to supply a
>> value to the static stylesheet parameter correct, and if yes, doesn't
>> this contradict the definition of the visibility of a static parameter
>> as always private?
>>
>>
>> --
>> Cheers,
>> Dimitre Novatchev
>>
>



--
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
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