Multiple output types and embedded documentation

[Warren Hedley <w.hedley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

We've had a bit of discussion recently on embedding documentation
within XSLT stylesheets that can then be extracted easily. In
addition to this, I have stylesheets which are largely identical
in logical structure, but produce different output depending on the
target format. Maintaining these has always been a pain. I'm now
thinking about making the entire thing a two stage process - this
is probably best explained with an example. Here's my documented,
multiple target, NOT FUNCTIONING, stylesheet.

<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="logic commands"
                xmlns:doc="doc format"
                xmlns:out_1="output type 1 (latex)"
                xmlns:out_2="output type 2 (html)">

<xsl:template match="/">
  <doc:h1>Root Element</doc:h1>
  <doc:p>My root element doesn't really do anything useful.</doc:p>

  <xsl:for-each select="*">
    <out_1:value-of select="concat('\alltt{', ., '}')" />
    <out_2:element name="code">
      <out_2:value-of select="." />
    </out_2:element>
  </xsl:for-each>
</xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

To then extract either documentation, or working stylesheets that
produce the output formats that I'm looking for, I apply more
general stylesheets.

* Does anyone like this idea?
* Has anyone already developed a solution along these lines?
* Does anyone have a better suggestion?

If people are interested, it might be worth trying to work out what
functionality is required, and produce a set of readily available
stylesheets to do that intermediate step.

-- 
Warren Hedley
Department of Engineering Science
Auckland University
New Zealand


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