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RE: Incrementing a Global variable

2003-08-28 17:06:42
Hi

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com 
[mailto:owner-xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com] On Behalf Of 
Mukul Gandhi
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2003 2:51 AM
To: xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com
Subject: RE: [xsl] Incrementing a Global variable


Hi Americo,
  I guess such a construct will make certain tasks
easier(e.g. generating serial nos). As Dimitre
explained(and we all feel), side effect is bad for a 
programming language ; unless we can deviate from the notion 
of side effect free language, what you have suggested and I 
wrote (xsl:variable2 ..) might not be possible in XSLT.

You didn't understand what I said, or I didn't explain very well. What I
meant was that I rather have a <xsl:increment/> syntax than a
<xsl:variable/> that allows changing it's value. In some situations it might
be "easy" to implement with variable-changing but you can easily implement
it recursively, so you realy don't need variable-changing. All you need is
to understand the way xslt works.
I've seen very good examples of this. I've seen xslt doing things that it
wasn't supposed to do without variable-changing. 


Regards,
Mukul

--- Americo_Albuquerque <melinor(_at_)sapo(_dot_)pt> wrote:
Hi

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com
[mailto:owner-xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com] On
Behalf Of
Mukul Gandhi
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 7:30 PM
To: xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com
Subject: RE: [xsl] Incrementing a Global variable


I am not asking to introduce variables as like in procedural 
languages.. We can keep xsl:variable as
it
is,

but can we introduce a syntax like xsl:variable2
(say
in XSLT 2.0 -- in addition to xsl:variable) which
can
be defined at xsl:stylesheet level -- which can be
allowed to increment. The processing model of XSLT
can
remain same(to maintain functional programming
style);

If what you want is increment a variable would be
better to have something
like <xsl:incremental name="value" step="2"/> to set
the incremental value
and have a <xsl:incremental-value select="value"/>
that would copy the
current value to the output and increment it by the
defined step.



the construct (e.g. xsl:variable2 ) can be
maintained
in a global memory (maintained by XSLT processor)
and
can be incremented..

for e.g. if I define <xsl:variable2 name="a"
select="0" />
 and possibly *any no of* other variables for e.g.

<xsl:variable2 name="b" .. etc. at xsl:stylesheet
level

and lets assume for e.g. -- this template is being 
processed at some 
point.. <xsl:template matche="something">
  <xsl:variable2 name="a" select="$a + 1" />

This will not work as expected. This means that xslt
had to "remember" the
variable state, i. e., the state before the variable
setting and the state
after the setting. Xslt hasn't this concept builtin.

</xsl:template>

When the processor encounters the statement -- <xsl:variable2 
name="a" select="$a + 1" /> it will increment the value 
of "a" at a 
global place..

Would introducing this feature will make XSLT
really procedural?

(...)

Regards,
Americo Albuquerque


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