Re: XSL processor?

Hi Laura,

At 10:08 AM 5/31/00 -0400, you wrote:
>Sorry, I'm a bit new to all this...
>
>I keep hearing little rumors about xsl processors, but can't find anywhere I
>can actually download one.  What is an xsl processor, and do I need one in
>addition to an xml parser? 

Try xmlsoftware.com for a list. Yup, you do need one. Depending on what
you're doing, you'll want it standalone (run in batch mode), or part of a
developers' kit of some kind (possibly home-grown), or packaged to work on
a web server, or....

An XSLT processor is a piece of software that:
  1. takes an xml document
  2. takes an xsl stylesheet
  3. creates an output data structure by applying the rules of the stylesheet
      to the input tree, and
  4. delivers that result or makes it available to something downstream
      (it could serialize it and write it to a file, it could pass it to 
      an application, etc.)

Note that this is an XSL_T_ processor, which is only a component of an XSL
processor. An XSLT processor performs the first of the tasks of a general
XSL processor, namely tree transformation. See the XSL spec, section 1.1
(http://www.w3.org/WD-xsl), where there is some very helpful explanation.
Because XSL formatting objects (FOs) are not yet mature (the spec isn't
finished), most of what you see folks working on on this list is just XSLT
-- we use "just" XSLT to transform XML into HTML, other varieties of XML, etc.

A full _XSL_ processor will be able to provide a result tree with enough
semantics about rendering (via the formatting objects) that it can be
displayed directly on screen, printed, converted to PDF, etc.

Most, but not all, conformant XSLT processors currently available are
written in Java, so require a JVM to run. There are also, however, other
options. Dig around and ask again (saying more about your requirements) if
it's not clear.

One of the most significant aspects of XSL(T) as a "standard" (a
non-proprietary spec) is that you can shop around for processors, and they
can compete on features like platform(s), performance,
extensions/extensibility, etc. etc. rather than relying on locking you in
to keep you coming back. Accordingly, processors necessarily differ
(especially at this fairly early point) in how well they conform to the
standard, and you will find (on this list and elsewhere) a certain amount
of purism and "standards-hawkishness" regarding the way an XSL(T) processor
should behave. To put it in a nutshell: this is a buyer's market. :->

Cheers,
Wendell


> XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
>
>

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Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
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