Re: Template repository (Was: Re: Re: namespace values

Jeni Tennison wrote:
> 
> Dimitre wrote:
> > Once again, the most useful and immediately applicable result of
> > this work would be to package the functions as a (pure XSLT)
> > template library, that everybody could download directly from a web
> > site and use immediately, without having to depend on specific
> > vendour's decision to implement EXSL.
> >
> > This template library would "feed" EXSL with new functionality that
> > is known to already have signifficant user acceptance.
> 
> OK, let's do this. I agree that it could feed [the core] EXSLT with
> new functionality, in just the same way as a function repository
> would.

It just so happens that I have created a SourceForge project for
this exact purpose - the XSLT Standard Library (xsltsl).
The project is at http://xsltsl.sourceforge.net/.

There's nothing there yet - I only had the project created late last
week.
Once I have an initial CVS commit and the website up-and-running
I was going to make an anouncement on this list, but events have
overtaken
those plans ;-)

At the very least some mailing lists have been created for 
discussion of xsltsl.  These don't replace xsl-list, but serve
to host traffic specific to xsltsl.

xsltsl has exactly the same goals as outlined above - a library of
purely XSLT named templates for stylesheet designers to use,
organised into modules so that they may be incorporated into a
stylesheet
either as a whole or individually.  I'm not against the use of
processor extensions, but I do believe that there must always be
an implementation of a function purely in XSLT for those occasions
where an extension is not available (ie. for portability).

The reason for the delay in announcing the project and releasing code 
is that I've been working on a test suite for the library (also
implemented
in XSLT).  Another reason is that I'm establishing a set of engineering
standards for the stylesheet modules; documentation standards (using
DocBook),
parameter conventions, test/conformance suites, etc.

The documentation for the library, from which the website will be
created,
is embedded within the stylesheets themselves.  Hence there is a fair
amount of work to do in order to get everything up on the site.

At this stage I will be reviewing EXSLT and incorporating it into
xsltsl.
I'll also have a think about choice of namespace (xsltsl is currently
using the URI http://xsltsl.sourceforge.net/ as the prefix).

If anyone would like to become involved in the project as a developer, 
please send me your SourceForge username and I will add you to the
project.

Cheers,
Steve Ball

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