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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