RE: XSLT 2.1

> I can't resist the temptation to propose something similar 
> making use of my "true" identity template for XSLT 2.0, 
> http://www.xmlplease.com/identity-template.xsl, explained in this
> tutorial: http://www.xmlplease.com/identity-template.

You're very welcome to raise enhancement requests for future XSLT releases;
the best way to do it is via the public Bugzilla database at

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/query.cgi

Use Product=XPath/XQuery/XSLT, Component=XSLT 2.1.

Be aware that it might be many months before you get a response, and that
the response might be negative!

I've got a great deal of sympathy with what you are trying to do here - the
requirement to preserve entities over a transformation is a very real one.
However, the way you are currently doing it is a kludgey workaround, and the
WG certainly wouldn't entertain adopting this approach. In my view, if it's
going to be done, then it has to be done properly, and that means adding
concepts like entities and CDATA sections to the XDM model. In turn, I
suspect that the WG may well feel this is too big a task to justify the
benefits.

Of course, one way you can counter arguments about the effort being too
great is to put in the effort yourself: a detailed and well-reasoned
proposal at the language level will help to convince people of the
feasibility.

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