This all leads me to think that a non-deterministic fn:refresh-document()
function might be useful in certain circumstances,
but that we would be well advised to leave the plain-vanilla document()
function (and its ilk such as doc() and unparsed-text()) deterministic.
They are already a way of sneaking external state into the
transformation. (As such, very useful.
Does my Schematron find my listing in the bibliography feed *today*?) I'd
like to keep it easy to observe those boundaries
I thought just adding another overload for these functions:
*functionName($uri as xs:string, $isDeterministic as xs:boolean)*
Dimitre
On Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 12:33 PM Wendell Piez wapiez(_at_)wendellpiez(_dot_)com
<
xsl-list-service(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com> wrote:
Hi,
Norm has it right (I think) that following this rule and being able to
trust that a processor should follow this rule (even when it does not), is
an important stabilizing factor in XSLT development, enabling a very useful
separation of concerns whose boundaries run close to the governance
boundaries (who is actually in control of which data set).
And like David I worry what about when the scoping of variables and
parameters becomes an issue in determining what should be at the end of a
URI, whether it is the same, and whether I should care how many times a
processor makes an attempt on it.
As far as the theory goes, I think Dimitre put his finger on it when he
pointed out the distinction between a closed system and an open one. To
what Norm and Dave have said, I think XSLT has been very well served by
maintaining this "closed universe" fiction. Indeed as Dave P has also
hinted, such a regimen of
data control (in which data that is not controlled, is at least well
understood) is more or less essential to a scalable publishing operation.
This all leads me to think that a non-deterministic fn:refresh-document()
function might be useful in certain circumstances, but that we would be
well advised to leave the plain-vanilla document() function (and its ilk
such as doc() and unparsed-text()) deterministic. They are already a way of
sneaking external state into the transformation. (As such, very useful.
Does my Schematron find my listing in the bibliography feed *today*?) I'd
like to keep it easy to observe those boundaries.
Cheers, Wendell
On Thu, Nov 12, 2020 at 11:39 AM Norm Tovey-Walsh ndw(_at_)nwalsh(_dot_)com <
xsl-list-service(_at_)lists(_dot_)mulberrytech(_dot_)com> wrote:
I don't expect that anyone wrote XSLT code that relies on these
functions
being deterministic.
I would be very reluctant to endorse that claim. I have relied on this
*all the time* in as much as I’ve never given a moment of thought to
whether or not fn:doc() could possibly return a different answer because
I know I don’t have to.
Be seeing you,
norm
--
Norman Tovey-Walsh <ndw(_at_)nwalsh(_dot_)com>
https://nwalsh.com/
Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what
they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way.
Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn
from.--Al Franken
--
...Wendell Piez... ...wendell -at- nist -dot- gov...
...wendellpiez.com... ...pellucidliterature.org... ...pausepress.org...
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Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
---------------------------------------
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
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To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
-------------------------------------
Never fight an inanimate object
-------------------------------------
To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the
biggest mistake of all
------------------------------------
Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.
-------------------------------------
You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what
you're doing is work or play
-------------------------------------
To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep.
-------------------------------------
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
-------------------------------------
Typing monkeys will write all Shakespeare's works in 200yrs.Will they write
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Sanity is madness put to good use.
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I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.
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