This is a really fascinating discussion. Thank you.
Michael Kay wrote this interesting sentence:
It's an argument against using XML trees for
working data structures when implementing
complex algorithms - which is why XSLT 3.0
provides an alternative.
But, but, but, ...
Algorithms require data structures, right? Even complex algorithms require data
structures. Isn't the XSLT map construct a data structure? Are you saying that
some data structures should be used in certain algorithms while other data
structures should be avoided? When is an appropriate use of an "XML data
structure" and when is it inappropriate?
/Roger
From: Michael Kay mike(_at_)saxonica(_dot_)com
<xsl-list-service(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com>
Sent: Thursday, July 16, 2020 7:01 AM
To: xsl-list <xsl-list(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com>
Subject: [EXT] Re: [xsl] Modeling matrices in an XML environment
Liam wrote this really interesting paragraph:
The benefit to using maps or arrays over
elements in XSLT or XQuery is that element
nodes are too heavyweight, and too prone
to turning their content back into strings.
In XQuery in particular, constructors by
default do a terrible and dismal thing:
<x>3</x> makes a text node inside an x
element. And XDM element nodes have
a ton of properties, such as next, previous,
parent, schema type, is_happy, none of
which are needed for a matrix of numbers.
Yikes! Isn't that an argument against using XML and XSLT?
It's an argument against using XML trees for working data structures when
implementing complex algorithms - which is why XSLT 3.0 provides an alternative.
Michael Kay
Saxonica
http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
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