Take a look at http://www.meyerweb.com/eric/css/edge/ with regards to the menu 
(see the Pure CSS Menus link).  The menu allows popup menus (for browsers 
with CSS2 support), with CSS only - no javascript or image swapping.  It even 
degrades in a decent manner for browsers that don't have full CSS2 support 
(like IE).  Be sure to check out the other topics on his site - he's done 
some really amazing stuff with CSS.

I've recently had to put together a proof of concept on this, using XML/XSL to 
create the menu items.  Once you work through the coding, it's actually damn 
easy (probably easier for those who are much more familiar with XSL than I 
am).

I can't help you too much with regards to data islands.  However, in the past 
I have used WDDX and JavaScript to manipulate data on the fly client-side, 
refresh the page with said data (without a trip to the server), then 
eventually submit the data back to the server for processing.  It wasn't that 
tough.  I've seen articles online on how to parse/build XML via JavaScript, 
so that should be just as easy.  (For any who don't know, WDDX is an XML 
format for passing complex structures, developed by Allaire/Macromedia.  It's 
useful, but I think support for it is slowly fading in favor of SOAP.)

HTH

Shawn

On Friday 26 November 2004 06:43, xptm@xxxxxxx wrote:
> I have to do a research to my boss involving a lot of XML technologies to
> try to define a path for future developments.
>
> My aim is to try to define the most platform independent solution i can,
> away from MS and if possible not very Java dependent. So i'm looking to
> XML/XSL, and since you are all such a great guys (~violin music~) i'll ask
> for your advice.
>
> I've been looking at XML Data Islands but don't understand what it is
> really. Is it a MS only feature or is it a W3C definition? Can i treat XML
> Data Islands with XSL?
>
> The aim here is to have portions of a html page been updated without a trip
> to the server, refreshing the all page.
>
> I saw here in the list people asking about building tree-like menus out of
> XML. Are there any examples i can show my boss?
>
> What good IDE's are for XML/XSL, with visual capabilities?
>
> And if any of you has some ideas about XML/XSL (and CSS/CSS2) techniques
> toward a platform-independent solution please give me some points.
>
> Thanks to all for your kindness (~violins again~).