Re: [xsl] Anybody know when "transform" became the term for the type of thing XSLT does?

[David Nedrow <listbox@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Dan,

The term 'transform' predates XML, which inherited it from SGML  
(which probably inherited from GML). While I can't provide a  
definitive source/reason, using the terms 'transform' and  
'transformation' is an important part of differentiating a  
presentation agnostic markup with the transformed presentation format  
(eg. DVI, HTML, etc.) You can always tell when someone is new to  
DocBook XML for example, because they will generally ask "how do I  
make something bold?" It takes a while for them to realize that the  
semantic markup of DocBook has nothing, to do with it's presentation  
characteristics after transformation.

Extraction generally refers to pulling information out of specific  
tags, as when one uses [SG|X]ML for data interchange.

I've never heard anyone use the term "markup translation". That would  
seem to indicate either an I18N effort, or a transform to another  
markup language, which may not be the case. Since at least the late  
80's, everyone at IBM always used the term transformation, though  
I've seen comments from old-timers at IBM (circa 1975) that talk  
about "translating" GML markup.


Transform seems to be the most descriptive and applicable term.

My 2-cents.  ;)

-David


On Jun 13, 2005, at 12:26 PM, Daniel Paul O'Donnell wrote:


> Hi everybody. As part of an article, I'm talking about the immediate
> prehistory of XSL. I'd be interested in knowing when transformations
> became known as transformations. I assume as part of the DSSSL  
> work? Or
> is it a scripting language term? Any ideas? Rather than an OED-style
> hunt for the earliest occurrence, I'm really looking for a sense of  
> when
> extract and markup translation (is that a good definition?) began  
> to be
> commonly referred to as a "transformation".
> -dan
> --
> Daniel Paul O'Donnell
> Associate Professor of English
> Director, Digital Medievalist Project
> University of Lethbridge
> Lethbridge AB T1K 3M4
>
> Vox: +1 403 381-2539
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>
> (@wiglaf)