RE: How is memory allocated in recursive XSLT template

> I think I would prefer an extension function within the XSLT 
> itself rather than from the command line, because then I 
> would be able to note the time immediately before and after 
> the function in question.

If you're using Saxon, the best way of getting fine-grained instrumentation
is to use the TimerTraceListener, which can be activated using -TP from the
command line. This writes a file containing timing information; there's a
stylesheet called analyze.xsl in the samples folder which allows you to
summarize this information and determine how much time was spent in each
template or function.

Java's timing information is not very precise; you will only get meaningful
figures for a template or function that's executed several hundred times.

Details at
http://www.saxonica.com/documentation/using-xsl/performanceanalysis.html

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/