RE: Quantifying MSXML3 support for XSLT

[Joshua Allen <joshuaa at microsoft dot com>]

Hi Andrew,

Honestly, the most recent compliance matrix I have
seen shows that *none* of the XSLT processors are
100% compliant.  With my somewhat limited resources
and lack of public compliance test suites, I would 
not know, however, so any more info you could provide
would be appreciated.

The comment about "does have XSLT support" referred
to supporting the XSLT namespace instead of the namespace
we implemented based upon the earlier XSL draft.  David's
letter could very well have been misconstrued to mean that 
the processor in discussion was based on an older version of
the XSLT draft, when in fact it was not.  While it is
technically accurate to say that the old IE5 parser
was based on an older draft, it was also irrelevant
to the initiating question, and perhaps disingenuous;
at the time IE5 shipped, ours was a very good implementation
of the standard, which did have a different namespace at
the time and changed quite a bit since.  We evolve as the
standards evolve, but we don't delay our product ship
schedules based on standards schedules.  Shipping now
and providing updates later over the web seems to make
more sense.

In addition, it was difficult to judge the sincerity of the 
comment that "XDR=Microsoft flavoured XML schema", but
it would seem to imply that XDR is a competing peer of
XML Schema.  These days, a person wanting to atribute
any evil act to Microsoft has a very low burden of proof
to attain credibility.  While it's possible David had no
such intent, it's quite likely that many read his comment
to imply that XDR was created by Microsoft as an alternative
to XML Schema.  Nothing could be further from the truth,
though, and I doubt anyone working on XML Schema would 
claim such a thing.

As for the official statements about the level of
compliance in MSXML3 and expected arrival at 100%,
I have sent out a query to people more qualified to
make official statements and will let you know what
I find.

Thanks,
-J

> -----Original Message-----
> From: AndrewWatt2000@aol.com [mailto:AndrewWatt2000@aol.com]
> Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2000 4:56 AM
> To: xsl-list@mulberrytech.com
> Cc: Joshua Allen
> Subject: Quantifying MSXML3 support for XSLT
> 
> 
> In a message dated 06/07/00 03:43:45 GMT Daylight Time, 
> joshuaa@microsoft.com 
> writes:
> << 
> XDR was a predecessor to XML Schema developed with 
> DataChannel and others,
> and Microsoft is just as involved and supportive of XML 
> Schema as we were
> with XDR. XML Schema is still not ratified, and we like 
> everyone else are
> supporting the standard as it evolves. BTW, Lee specifically mentions
> MSXML3, which does have XSLT support. The older parser that 
> shipped with
> IE5 had more limited support based on earlier drafts. There is an XSLT
> stylesheet at
> http://msdn.microsoft.com/downloads/webtechnology/xml/xsltconv
> .asp which
> will convert older stylesheets to the new XSLT format.
> 
> -J
>  >> 
> 
> Joshua,
> 
> I was very interested in your unqualified statement that 
> MSXML3 (presumably 
> the May 2000 release) "does have XSLT support".
> 
> Should your statement be taken to indicate that MSXML3 now is 
> 100% compliant 
> with the XSLT Recommendation of November 1999?
> 
> If not then to what extent is May 2000 MSXML3 compliant with 
> November 1999 
> XSLT? Are there residual "issues"? If so, is there a publicly 
> available list 
> of those?
> 
> I appreciate that it is not easy to express this numerically 
> but can you 
> clarify what Microsoft's official position is on just how 
> compliant May 2000 
> MSXML3 is with respect to XSLT.
> 
> My understanding is that Microsoft is aiming for 100% 
> compliance. To turn the 
> question another way, is it possible to estimate when 100% 
> compliance will be 
> achieved?
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> Andrew Watt
> 
> 
>  XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list
> 


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