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Re: xslt test automation

Subject: Re: xslt test automation
From: Wendell Piez <wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:02:46 -0500
Re:  xslt test automation
Bernhard,

At 11:02 AM 11/24/2010, you wrote:
I'm wondering how you test your xslt stylesheets.

I've found a few projects addressing this, for example:
http://xspec.googlecode.com/
http://utf-x.sourceforge.net/

But most of these tools seem to be abandoned or their mailing list low traffic. I wonder why that may be:
Isn't it very common to develop an xslt and then refactor it? Wouldn't a test suite help in this situation? How about test driven development?

My guess is that the reasons for slow development of XSLT testing frameworks in open-source community-driven projects have little or nothing to do with the need, as such. That is, yes, it's common to refactor XSLT; yes, a test suite helps (and at other times too). But the fact that there is a need is not in itself a sufficient motivation for development.


In particular, the people who would be best qualified to define the needs and requirements are not necessarily the ones who are best able to accomplish the development itself -- this notwithstanding the fact that XSLT is often an excellent tool for solving the problems of XSLT developers -- either because we don't have the necessary skills at lower-level software engineering, or (just as bad if not worse) we don't have the time.

This makes me wonder whether rather than look for this development to happen in the community at large, we shouldn't be encouraging our tools vendors to be taking this work further. It is worth paying money for. A good testing framework can certainly pay for itself.

Cheers,
Wendell



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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
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