Re: [xsl] formatting xml output: inserting newlines between generated attributes

[Wendell Piez <wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Abie,

At 08:34 PM 9/10/2003, you wrote:
> > In the case of node-set(), however, it is just about the commonest 
> > extension function out there (most processors have a version of it), so 
> > (given you have to mind your namespace bindings and all that) it's still 
> > quite portable. Also, its functionality will be built into XSLT/XPath 
> > 2.0, which also mitigates the problem of application-dependency over the 
> > longer term (not that there won't be adjustments to make).
>
> ok.  so I'll be able to build a tree in 2.0 also.  but you had said that 
> it would be transparent.  do you feel that vendors of 2.0 will still 
> support node-set() usage?  (I guess we can ask michael kay about saxon, at 
> least).

This is only one of a number of adjustments you will have to make to 
convert a 1.0 stylesheet into a 2.0 stylesheet. C'est la vie: it's the 
price of progress. (If it's not actually progress to you, stick with 1.0.)

> also, leaving aside compatibility issues, what do you think about 
> constructing a tree within one xslt vs. having a 2-step transform?

Again, it depends. Doing it all within one stylesheet may improve 
performance (note I say "may", certain frameworks may provide this 
advantage also to pipelines); but the stylesheets are harder to 
reuse/repurpose, debug etc. That is, it's the usual tradeoff. External 
factors, such as whether the stylesheet is a one-off or part of a 
production system, the run-time scenario and the rest all make a difference.

No simple answer. Scratch where it itches.

In the case of a stylesheet whose purpose is not a tree transformation, but 
rather a simple reformatting of the XML (that is, you're using XSLT not for 
its node manipulation but for the sake of driving your engine's serializer) 
-- I'd definitely say it should be kept separate from a regular-ol' 
stylesheet (that does node manipulations) simply because it can only be 
used in processors and situations where you're writing a file. This is an 
unnecessary price to pay, and since the combined stylesheet also becomes 
complex, brittle and hard to maintain -- why do it?

Cheers,
Wendell



> abie
>
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Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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