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Re: [xsl] XSLT vs Schematron Decision: Sanity Check

2011-10-21 11:46:08
Dear Norm,

On 10/21/2011 12:34 PM, Norm Birkett wrote:
Your point, Wendell, about Schematron's being a small enough language
that expert users can learn to work in it or very close to it is
highly relevant to this project. We have a small army of "business
analysts" who write specs for our programmers. These specs deal with
data validation rules quite extensively, and they tend to suffer from
vagueness problems. Moreover, by the time a project is completed, the
developers have often negotiated changes to the specs, which are not
then consistently reflected in updates to the actual spec
documents--rendering the specs pretty worthless over time. So I'm
looking for ways to close up the loop a bit more tightly between spec
and code, and if we can shift spec-writing, at least as it relates to
data validation, into Schematron, it would help us toward that
objective.

This is not untypical of organizations shifting to XML-based publishing, which both demands, and rewards, a closer coupling between processes and technology than many are used to.

It remains to be seen whether the project will be approved, and
whether I can get the culture to accept Schematron in this way, but
I'm hopeful.

Consider floating a small demo with some keen and forward-thinking insiders, if you have any. If it is well-designed to be both intelligible and representative of your actual problems, the rest will be much easier.

I know several organizations who are doing this and have never looked back.

Cheers,
Wendell

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Wendell Piez                            
mailto:wapiez(_at_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
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Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
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