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Re: implements-prefix vs implements-namespace


Hi Clark,

> For those new to the thread, xsl:script has an attribute called
> implements-prefix, which informs the xslt processor that the script
> is bound to the namespace associated with the prefix. The problem
> occurs when importing, i.e., when the prefix to namespace
> relationship is not 1-1. In this currently very rare case, the
> interaction and behavior is definately non-obvious. With the
> intoduction of xsl:script this case will no longer be rare, and will
> unfortunately not get any more obvious. Replacing implements-prefix
> with implements-namespace would solve this conceptual problem.

What are you referring to when you say that the prefix to namespace
relationship is not 1-1?  Within any particular document (given that
you only define one prefix per namespace) then the mapping is 1-1 -
the mappings in the stylesheets that you import have absolutely no
effect on the mappings in the stylesheet you're working on.

I agree with your point that the mysterious workings of namespaces are
difficult to understand, but personally, I think that anyone who uses
XSLT at more than a basic level has to get their heads around
namespaces anyway. I grant you that it is impossible for those of us
who have got our heads round them to fully grasp the problems
encountered by those of us who haven't.

> 1. The "-prefixes" is used in less frequently used
>    features, like exclude-element.  Thus your average
>    stylesheet writer may not have encountered this 
>    particular construct, nor had to learn about it.

You're confusing extension-element-prefixes and
exclude-result-prefixes (there's no such thing as
exclude-element-prefixes).  Which demonstrates your point ;)

When people start using xsl:script then they're going to want to use
exclude-result-prefixes (or possibly extension-element-prefixes) for
the namespace that they're using because otherwise that namespace will
be present in their result document. I think it's very unlikely that
it will be changed to exclude-result-namespace, so people using
xsl:script will have to use prefixes, and understand how imports
interact with them, at some point anyway.

I think it will cause more confusion to have prefixes being used in
exclude-result-prefixes and namespaces being used in
implements-namespace being used on xsl:script that it would to have
them both use prefixes.

> 2. Commonly, without the use of import, "namespace" and 
>    "prefix" are most often in 1-1 correspondence.  Thus
>    the stylesheet user, even if they use these uncommon
>    constructs can be happily ignorant of the distinction.

And can happily remain so. Whether you import anything or not, the
mappings remain unchanged. If you are in control of the imported
stylesheet and you want to avoid confusion, then you can use the same
prefixes in the imported stylesheet as elsewhere.  This is a situation
you objected to previously, but in the vast majority of cases it will
work just fine.

The only time when any level of complexity is introduced is if you
have a clash between the namespace prefixes you're using in your
stylesheet and those that were used in the imported stylesheet. The
namespace mappings give you the flexibility to introduce a different
prefix for the same namespace and use that prefix in your stylesheet.
Or you can change one of the other mappings in your stylesheet to get
rid of the conflict - it's up to you.  Within the one stylesheet, only
one mapping is visible.

> HOWEVER, with xsl:script and with the desire for modularity, your
> _average_ stylesheet user will now be exposed to both "-prefixes",
> and they will be using import, so they no longer be happily
> ignorant.

I think they can be happily ignorant a while longer.  We can simplify
by saying that the prefixes in the imported and importing stylesheet
should be the same.

> I feel this change more than merits a re-consideration of the
> "-prefixes" position. It is definately non-trivial and most xslt
> users will have the choice of:
>
> a) grappling with the distinction and this less-than-obvious
>    way of thinking (just to save a few keystrokes); OR
> b) don't bother modulizing their stylesheets into 
>    import modules (giving up).

It's not just a matter of keystrokes, it's also about avoiding
introducing errors.  We want to see stylesheets where there are at
least three different xsl:script elements for the same functions.  If
each of those has to have the entire namespace URI written on it then
the chance of a typo creeping in somewhere gets fairly high, and we
all know how annoyingly non-obvious those kinds of bugs can be.

Very probably I'm just lazy. Or perhaps I should move to that really
funky visual XSLT development environment.

> P.S.  There is one other argument for "namespace" instead
>       of "prefix", currently one cannot specify prefixes
>       using XSLT.  This will exacerbate the situation unless
>       this ability is moved into XSLT 1.1 along with xsl:script.

You can specify prefixes in XSLT in just the same way as you can in
any XML vocabulary - using the namespace declaration.  If you're
talking about *generating* code with particular namespace prefixes, I
don't think that it's a problem - you either rely on the built-in
copying of namespace nodes or you copy them so you get the prefix you
want.  It's not an insurmountable problem.

Cheers,

Jeni

---
Jeni Tennison
http://www.jenitennison.com/



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