> The options could be:
> 
> - preserve-text (the XSLT 1.0 default)
> - preserve-elements
> - preserve-attributes
> - preserve-comments
> - preserve-processing-instructions
> - preserve-namespaces (??)
> 

The danger is that you introduce a new mini-transformation language which
expands to become as rich and complex as the original.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/