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Re: Semantics, Complex Systems, (XSLT) Programs which W rite T

• To: "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@i...>
• Subject: Re: Semantics, Complex Systems, (XSLT) Programs which W rite Themselves
• From: John Cowan <jcowan@r...>
• Date: Mon, 27 Oct 2003 17:52:17 -0500
• Cc: xml-dev@l...
• In-reply-to: <15725CF6AFE2F34DB8A5B4770B7334EE03F9EE11@h...>
• References: <15725CF6AFE2F34DB8A5B4770B7334EE03F9EE11@h...>
• User-agent: Mutt/1.4.1i

Bullard, Claude L (Len) scripsit:

> What you are describing is what is sometimes called, 
> "self-modifying code". I've been taught that self-modifying 
> code isn't safe code and I've accepted that as an 
> article of faith, so I can't verify that with facts.
> Still if so, what I would ask is if XML 
> and XSLT (modify by transformation) is safer 
> than when done in other languages and if so, why?

XSLT programs of this type are not *self*-modifying.  Rather, they modify
other code that happens to resemble themselves.  It is then up to something
outside the XSLT environment to re-execute the modified code.

This is no more a case of self-modification than when a compiler compiles a
modified version of itself: the new compiler must be put into effect by
something outside itself, typically an installation routine.

-- 
After fixing the Y2K bug in an application:     John Cowan
        WELCOME TO <censored>                   jcowan@r...
        DATE: MONDAK, JANUARK 1, 1900           http://www.ccil.org/~cowan

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• References:
  • RE: Semantics, Complex Systems, (XSLT) Programs which Write Themselves
    • From: "Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@i...>

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