Subject: Re: [xsl] xml-stylesheet p.i. and other options From: David Carlisle <davidc@xxxxxxxxx> Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2002 11:40:58 +0100 |
> Those other options often do involve an HTML user-agent requesting XML, > though, and getting back HTML. So while raw XML wasn't served, XML was > requested, and a server-side application decided that the request should be > interpreted as a request for the data within that XML, formatted in a manner > more appropriate for that particular client. As I keep trying to say, this > kind of decision and the determinations that go along with it (such as what > the client's capabilities are and what an appropriate transformation would be, > if any) is for the application to make. These needs are not very well-met by > the PI approach at all. I agree that's a common use and that the PI is not much help in that scenario, but in that scenario the xml is just the back end data, it could be a database or SGML or anything. XML was explictly developed to allow another option: serving the "back end" data direct to the client. That doesn't mean the older way is bad or not important (no one wants to ship terrabytes of database so the client can generate a five line welcome page). If you are serving XML over the web then you need some way of associating some processing with what you are serving. This is mainly only true for browsers rendering XML for human consumption, in the case of mechanical uses of XML your processing mechanisms mean that probably you know what type of XML you are getting and know how to process it (and fail if it's not the right thing) but an XML browser accepts arbitary XML but its default behaviour for general XML is unlikely to be optimal for human reading. This is the primary use case for the PI. I never said that the processing instruction was always useful, I just assert that it is useful (with currently no implemented alternative) for an important (and originally motivating) use of XML. Which is why I disagreed with your original assesment that "<?xml-stylesheet?> tends to be one of the less sensible solutions." David _____________________________________________________________________ This message has been checked for all known viruses by Star Internet delivered through the MessageLabs Virus Scanning Service. For further information visit http://www.star.net.uk/stats.asp or alternatively call Star Internet for details on the Virus Scanning Service. XSL-List info and archive: http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
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