Something I'm just wondering for the sake of learning more...

Had XSLT only defined an xsl:include in the spec and did not define
an xsl:import such that I assume it would force the authors to use
template priorities to establish precedence.

Would XSLT...

1. Be lot less powerful such that you could not implement something
in an xsl:import-less XSLT?

2. Be much more difficult to program certain things or perhaps just
less convenient?

3 Be something else....

---

On the other hand though, the fact that import precedence has such a
fundamental effect on template matching makes it hard to use xsl:import
as a means of splitting up large stylesheets purely for organisational
convenience, hence the need for xsl:include...

--
google plus: https:/profiles.google.com/d.p.carlisle