ANN: 4EXSLT (EXSLT common, math, sets, and function fo

I'm happy to announce 4EXSLT, an add-on module for 4Suite that implements the 
entire  initial collection of EXSLT functions and elements for the 4XSLT 
processor.

So wot's EXSLT?

Short answer is look here:

http://exslt.org

EXSLT is an effort by the community of XSLT users and implementers to develop 
a common collection of XPath extension functions and XSLT extension elements 
that provide useful facilities beyond that provided by the official XSLT  
recommendation. It was initially developed through open discussion on the 
XSL-List, and refined through the heroic efforts of XSLT goddess Jeni Tennison 
(with help from Jim Fuller, Dave Pawson and Uche Ogbuji).

EXSLT has garnered interest and support from XSLT users, implementors and XSL 
working group members.  It will allow parties to contribute extensions freely 
through an open process.  The initial set of extensions includes tools for 
math, set manipulation, writing XPath extension functions in XSLT itself, 
multiple document output, conversion to node set and checking XPath object 
type.

I think 4EXSLT is the first implementation of EXSLT available, and I hope it 
encourages other XSLT implementors to follow suite.  I should note that Mike 
Kay appears to be working on EXSLT support for Saxon, which is brilliant news 
since that processor is the benchmark of XSLT excellence.

But enough blather.  To get your mitts on the software, follow the link:

ftp://ftp.fourthought.com/pub/etc/4exslt-20010506.tar.gz

Consider this an alpha release.  I've made up a couple of tests for each 
element and function (and there is a test script in the package), and I've put 
these to some use in my own work, but there are undoubtedly bugs crouching 
about in there somewhere, so please let me know as you find them.

I intend to bundle these extensions into 4Suite 0.11.1, but right not it's 
really easy to use this add-on package with 4Suite 0.11.

Comments welcome.  Maybe even abuse, depending on my mood.

Any future announcements of 4EXSLT will be made to the 4Suite and EXSLT 
mailing lists.

Thanks.


-- 
Uche Ogbuji                               Principal Consultant
uche.ogbuji@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx               +1 303 583 9900 x 101
Fourthought, Inc.                         http://Fourthought.com 
4735 East Walnut St, Ste. C, Boulder, CO 80301-2537, USA
Software-engineering, knowledge-management, XML, CORBA, Linux, Python






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