Re: formatting xml output: inserting newlines between

Play the video

Subject: Re: formatting xml output: inserting newlines between generated attributes
From: Wendell Piez <wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 2003 12:50:02 -0400

Abie,

At 10:15 AM 9/9/2003, you wrote:

Alternatively, there are ways to cheat -- for example, you could write a transformation that would >output plain text that would "happen to be" XML -- and that would contain the line breaks you >wanted.

It would, however, be a nightmare to combine this strategy with a regular every-day transformation, >though I can see it being done as a post-process.
wendell, this is exactly what I was going to do in case the answer to my original question was in the negative. I would use <xsl:output method="text"> and just format the xml by hand, as it were. why do you say it would be a nightmare? (granted it's not as elegant).

If you kept it in its own box, completely separate from other transformation logic, it would be fine. The nightmare would be if you tried to combine this with ordinary transformation logic, which typically would perform a mapping of source elements to result elements, do grouping, conditional generated text, etc. Both things happening in a single stylesheet would be a lot to try to keep under control and a pain to maintain. Also, writing output to text locks you into a particular processing model (can't chain the transform as easily, can't use it in display engines that don't support the 'text' output method, and so forth).

Writing a transform to do such reformatting on arbitrary input, and having it be the final step of a two- (or multi-) step process, is more thinkable. Three or four templates would do everything you would need. Is there any reason you can't do it that way? (Or maybe you're saying that's what you want to do.)

Cheers,
Wendell


======================================================================
Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
17 West Jefferson Street                    Direct Phone: 301/315-9635
Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
----------------------------------------------------------------------
  Mulberry Technologies: A Consultancy Specializing in SGML and XML
======================================================================

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

Current Thread

formatting xml output: inserting newlines between generated attributes
- Abie Hamaoui - Mon, 8 Sep 2003 13:07:01 -0400 (EDT)
  - Wendell Piez - Mon, 8 Sep 2003 14:46:22 -0400 (EDT)
  - Michael Kay - Mon, 8 Sep 2003 16:24:01 -0400 (EDT)
  - <Possible follow-ups>
  - Abie Hamaoui - Tue, 9 Sep 2003 10:16:17 -0400 (EDT)
    - Wendell Piez - Tue, 9 Sep 2003 12:57:36 -0400 (EDT) <=
    - Abhijit Junnare - Tue, 9 Sep 2003 13:57:32 -0400 (EDT)
      - J.Pietschmann - Tue, 9 Sep 2003 14:45:37 -0400 (EDT)
      - Abhijit Junnare - Tue, 9 Sep 2003 15:50:09 -0400 (EDT)
      - G. Ken Holman - Tue, 9 Sep 2003 17:30:50 -0400 (EDT)

<- Previous	Index	Next ->
Re: formatting xml output: in, Abie Hamaoui	Thread	fo:block-container question, Abhijit Junnare
RE: Automatically copying an , Wendell Piez	Date	Re: Re: Generate key with fur, Dimitre Novatchev
	Month

PURCHASE STYLUS STUDIO ONLINE TODAY!

Purchasing Stylus Studio from our online shop is Easy, Secure and Value Priced!

Download The World's Best XML IDE!

Accelerate XML development with our award-winning XML IDE - Download a free trial today!

Subscribe in XML format

RSS 2.0
Atom 0.3

XML Editor - Download a 15 Day Free Trial Now >

See What's New in Stylus Studio >

Buy Stylus Studio - XML Editor - Now >