RE: [xsl] Proposal: Copying with Sorting

["Michael Kay" <michael.h.kay@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

XSLT 2.0 allows you to create a sorted sequence of nodes using the
sort() function, with named sort keys:

<xsl:sort-key name="sk1">
  <xsl:sort select="exp2"/>
</xsl:sort-key>

<xsl:copy-of select="sort('sk1', exp)"/>

Michael Kay
Software AG
home: Michael.H.Kay@xxxxxxxxxxxx
work: Michael.Kay@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
> [mailto:owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 
> Dimitre Novatchev
> Sent: 05 January 2003 09:01
> To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [xsl] Proposal: Copying with Sorting
> 
> 
> I would like to propose a simplification of the most widely 
> used case of sorting, when a the members of a node-set are 
> simply copied in a different order.
> 
> The proposal is to allow xsl:sort to be a child of xsl:copy-of.
> 
> Thus instead of writing [1]:
> 
> <xsl:for-each select="expression"> 
>   <xsl:sort select="expression2"/> 
>   <xsl:copy-of select="."/> 
> </xsl:for-each> 
> 
> 
> one would simply write [2]:
> 
> <xsl:copy-of select="expression">
>   <xsl:sort select="expression2"/> 
> </xsl:copy-of> 
> 
> 
> What are the advantages of having [2]?
> 
> 1. The new instruction is more compact and simpler.
> 
> 2. It reflects the principle that it should be possible to do simple 
>    things in a simple way.
> 
> 3. Shorter, simpler, more readable and maintainable xslt code.
> 
> 4. Probably allows a more efficient implementation.
> 
> 5. The programmer will not have to worry whether to use (gasp!) an 
>    xsl:for-each or an xsl:apply-templates with or without mode.
> 
> 6. Eliminates the vast number of programming errors, when the 
>    programmer simply forgets to specify  <xsl:copy-of 
> select="."/>  in 
>    [1]
> 
> 
> A further simplification will be achieved if a "sort" 
> attibute is allowed in case of sorting on a single key only. 
> 
> Then we could write [3]:
> 
> <xsl:copy-of select="expression" sort="expression2" />
> 
> 
> I would appreciate receiving any comments on this proposal. 
> Would you like to have this feature proposed for inclusion in 
> XSLT 2.0?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> =====
> Cheers,
> 
> Dimitre Novatchev.
> http://fxsl.sourceforge.net/ -- the home of FXSL
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. 
http://mailplus.yahoo.com

 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list


 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list