Re: indentation

If you're careful you can use shared element syntax and make stylesheets
work for both namespaces. The biggest thing I'm finding is that IE5
stylesheet writers use a lot of this:

<xsl: value-of />

which IE5 understands (I've done it a number of times myself). To make this
work in current standardized XSL processors, you'd need to add a select
attribute. I find the . operator works in most circumstances. Of course, you
need to change the namespace  in your style sheet to match whatever WD or PR
you're working with.

But overall, I'd be careful about warning people against learning the IE5
method. It's still a good way to get comfortable with the syntax, and not
everybody is a programmer or is comfortable working with the tools most
often discussed on this list. XT is my favorite tool, but mostly because I'm
a non-programmer and it's relatively easy to use and it follows the spec.
But I got my feet wet with IE5 because all I had to do was hit the reload
button when I made changes to my style sheet. 

So while it's important that the distinction between the emerging standard
and the IE5 namespace is made, I still look at IE5 as a fairly decent
learning tool, if nothing else.  

Another viable option is using the InDelv browser (www.indelv.com) for
browser-implemented XSL. I don't think it's quite current, but it's close,
and uses XT as its transformation engine. It doesn't recognize HTML, though
-- its formatting namespace is based on the FO WD. 
   
Chuck White
Creative Director
ADVANCE Recruitment Advertising, Inc.
chuck@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.advancerecruitment.com
author of Internet Explorer 5 Developer's Guide, IDG Books
co-author Mastering XML, Sybex Books

----------
>From: "John E. Simpson" <simpson@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Subject: Re: indentation
>Date: Wed, Nov 10, 1999, 10:20 AM
>

> so if you've invested in learning (and using) the current IE5 flavor, 
>your documents will soon be unreadable by anyone except those using the 
>outdated version of IE5.


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