At 02:00 PM 3/8/2003, Brian wrote:
I think if newbies follow the same path I
did, they learn a lot about the XSLT elements but don't get too excited
about XPath beyond the basic patterns. Yet IMO that's where the true power
of XSLT lies. Perhaps if so many newbies struggle with advanced XPath, that
points to a weakness in some of the educational materials, at least what's
online? Those who actually teach the subject likely can provide more
insight.
Confirming what Brian says, I and my Mulberry colleagues have found that
(a) four hours spent systematically studying and practicing XPath pays for
itself within a day or two of writing code, (b) XPath does not reward
guessing (even if you get the syntax doing something it works only until it
fools you), (c) an experienced instructor/practitioner can help (it goes on
constantly on this list), and (d) the self-taught can indeed miss XPath's
significance and relation to XSLT. I don't think weaknesses in the
educational materials are entirely to blame for this; there are some
subtleties about it.
But this is only tangentially related to Attribute Value Templates. We
instructors understand XPath can be a bit sticky, but really powerful. AVTs
are so simple, but they are among the FAQest of FAQs (hence I share Mike's
curiosity).
Regards,
Wendell
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