This is the mail archive of the xsl-list@mulberrytech.com mailing list .


Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]

RE: node-set() function in MSXML?


Joshua--

While I can't imagine the specific problem you ask about (maybe others
can), your efforts to clarify MSXML on this point are still well spent.
Experience on this list indicates strongly that:

(1) the MSXML package is a favorite, especially among developers new both
to XML and XSL;
(2) users do not always familiarize themselves with the spec (shame!), but
trust and expect that a processor's behavior will be conformant until they
learn otherwise, the hard way, and
(3) the fine points of the XSLT/XPath data object types, the allowable
casting from one to another, and which of the possible casts happen
implicitly, which ones not (like this one), are among the more obscure
features that confuse the unwary.

So I can easily imagine a user who simply assumes an RTF will be (thus act
like) a node set, because it looks awfully similar (and why not, other
strange things like that seem to work), and that's the main case I think
you need to guard against. I think the archives (if they're not down :-<)
may show an example or two of conversations hashing out this point,
although not necessarily specifically in the context of MSXML.

FWIW, you can add my name to the list of people who are very grateful for
your work, and feel it reflects positively on your employer. I hope they
give you extra stock options or something.

Regards,
Wendell Piez

At 12:43 PM 8/2/00 -0700, you wrote:
>Can anyone speculate about other areas where this behavior could
>cause pain?  Most importantly, can anyone imagine stylesheets
>that do *not* use node-set() extensions and do *not* expect the
>RTF to be a node-set, but are tripped up by the fact that
>MSXML assumes it is?  I want to make sure I give this a complete
>treatment in the FAQ..
>
>Thanks,
>Joshua


======================================================================
Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@mulberrytech.com
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

Index Nav: [Date Index] [Subject Index] [Author Index] [Thread Index]
Message Nav: [Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]