Why isn't node-set built in?

Phil Lanch wrote:

> Alternatively, use a named template to collect (nodes containing) the
> numbers you want to add up in a variable, and apply the sum() function
> to them. The tricky bit is that the variable contains a result-tree
> fragment, not a node list, and the sum() function must be given a
> node-list, so you need to convert the result-tree fragment to a
> node-list using a node-set() extension function. This is available in
> Saxon or XT (and it looks such a good idea that surely all good XSL
> processors will have it eventually).

That raises the question: since node-set so obviously fills a significant gap and is provided in two leading XSL processors as an
extension, why isn't it one of the Additional Functions listed in Sec. 12 of the XSL spec?   That would, among other effects,
standardize its definition and be a Good Thing.

Paul Abrahams



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