On Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:25:40 -0600, Dimitre Novatchev
<dnovatchev@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Once we have an implementation of a library of XSLT functions, one
> would simply use the compiled version of FXSL or whatever else.

Can you expand what you mean by this?  Are you referring to a stand-alone
FXSL processor/library (that's how I immediately interpreted this, so
thought it best to clarify)

Sure. The compiling XSLT processors that I am aware of compile a
primary stylesheet with all included and imported stylesheets into a
single executable module. This module is then used to perform a
definite, specific transformation on any xml source document we want
to apply the  transformation to.

I have been discussing (in this list, I think) the high value of being
able to compile stylesheets that are not primary (such as containing
only xsl functions). Then there should be a standard mechanism for any
primary stylesheet to (link to) use the so compiled library of xsl
functions.

Dr. Kay did express his opinion that implementing this for XSLT (just
following what we have for XQuery) shouldn't be difficult.

Certainly, an extension (element or attribute) will be necessary to
declare local externals to export and to needed externals to import
from other modules.

I think that specifying such an extension falls exactly into the
subject area of EXSLT, unfortunately until no one has proposed a
specification.

--
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
---------------------------------------
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
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To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
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You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what
you're doing is work or play

--
/M:D

M. David Peterson
http://mdavid.name | http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/au/2354 |
http://dev.aol.com/blog/3155