At 03:01 PM 2/19/2004, you wrote:
Using only "forward" is insufficient -- a tree is 2-dimensional (this is why
there are many possible traversal orders) and we use two independent axes --
"ancestor" and "preceding".
Of course. :-> But what makes this traversal interesting and different is
that instead of relying on XSLT's built-in traversal of child nodes
collected as a node list, it explicitly steps forward one node at a time.
In the default traversal, the forward part is implicit (and as you know,
XSLT requires only that the result come out *as if* the nodes are traversed
forward in document order).
Since natural language rarely finds it practical to describe and specify
all distinguishing characteristics of a given case, we usually encapsulate
them by using a code or label that only hints at them -- and rely on
context (as always) to disambiguate the rest. If the term sticks, it comes
through use to denote all the particulars (because repeated use within a
community of practice allows it to "carry its context with it"). Of course
you know all this, which is why you asked for a native speaker's advice ...
because what constitutes a good hint in a given case, before a term has
established itself, is hard.
Anyway, glad to help. Words are fun.
Cheers,
Wendell
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Wendell Piez
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Mulberry Technologies, Inc. http://www.mulberrytech.com
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