Re: Benefits of xsd-types in XSLT

On Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 8:33 AM, Jesper Tverskov <jesper@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi list
>
> We often hear that one of the great benefits of using XSLT 2.0 is that
> it uses the datatypes of XML Schema, most likely the same datatypes as
> input XML and output XML, making type conversion not necessary.
>
> It is easy to understand that the above is important and it is easy to
> make up small examples like comparing a "date" datatype in XML Schema,
> C# and Java.
>
> But how great a benefit is it really? E.g.: when using XML data
> binding, the XML Schema datatypes are, as far as I know, automatically
> converted to the type system of C#, Java, etc. Does such automatic
> conversion work or must it be fine tuned?
>

Sorry, it is not clear what the question really is...


One of the biggest advantages of having typed variables (including any
document, any parameters and results from an xsl:template or from an
xsl:function) is the static typed checking that will raise errors
during compile time, vs run time or never raised at all.

Without the typing feature of XPath 2.0/XSLT 2.0 one would need
type-inference/theorem-prooving just to deduce the types of any
programming-language item, and in order to fully understand a program
(even one written by themselves).

Another big benefit is a new, huge opportunity for optimization.

The obvious benefit of this feature is reduced developer time,
increased quality, safety and performance.

The combination of all of the above results in a quantitative leap
forward in development technology and programmer's experience. The
gross benefit goes also to the end user.



--
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
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Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
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To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
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Never fight an inanimate object
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You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what
you're doing is work or play





> I would like to hear some real life cases, showing that xsd-datatypes
> in XSLT can be a great time-saver when input and output is strongly
> typed also using XSD, compared with more traditional programming
> languages?
>
> Cheers,
> Jesper Tverskov
>
> http://www.xmlkurser.dk
> http://www.xmlplease.com