In this discussion I'm more interested of the expression power than an exactly 
proper syntax at this point.

XSL already has constructs that always match, like <target-element/>. So I 
don't see anything bad in pattern matching with "zero or more" and "zero or 
one" constructs.

Perhaps more close to XML syntax would be to add a new qualifier "count", for 
example:

<element type="list">
	<element type="item" count=CountDef>
		<target-element ....>
	</element>
</element>

where CountDef can be:
- "any"
- positive integer
- constant
- function

Matti



-----Original Message-----
From:	Paul Prescod [SMTP:papresco@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent:	Wednesday, February 25, 1998 4:11 PM
To:	xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject:	Re: More XSL Discussion

Matti Katajamaki wrote:
>
> Why not generalize the idea to express the number of target elements using 
BNF
> ?, + and * operators, for example:
>
> <rule>
> <target-element type="LIST"/>
>         <target-element type="ITEM"+/>
>         ... action part
> </rule>

The ? and * operators match lambda, so this rule would *always* be
triggered in LISTs. Also, the syntax is not valid XML anymore.

Paul Prescod  - http://itrc.uwaterloo.ca/~papresco

[Woody Allen on Hollywood in "Annie Hall"]
Annie: "It's so clean down here."
Woody: "That's because they don't throw their garbage away. They make
        it into television shows."


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



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