Re: [xslt2] pretty-printed output: preserving whitespace inside c ertain elements

Kay, Michael wrote:

> I think we will need to see a fairly convincing use case before accepting
> this requirement (you only say you need it, you don't say why).


Why? To make sure that the contents of certain elements are not 
indented, while indent="yes" can still be used. These elements in any 
XML lang ("custom grammar") can be styled via CSS, namely
    white-space: pre
This is the use case.


> The rules for indenting HTML output rely on a very detailed knowledge of the
> semantics of the HTML vocabulary. You are effectively saying that other
> vocabularies may also have semantics defining where whitespace is
> significant, and you want equivalent facilities for such vocabularies.


Exactly. It would be great if XSLT 2 would offer this.

> But
> the facility you are asking for is far too crude to represent the HTML
> rules.


I think I need what I described; and what I described would suffice AFAICS.

Something else:

Will the rules on
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-qt-comments/2003Feb/0023.html

    "(c) whitespace must not be added inside a formatted element, the
    formatted elements being pre, script, style, and textarea"

etc be included in the XSLT 2 spec, for XHTML output?


> The general rule is, if whitespace is significant, don't use indent="yes".


This does not meet my requirements. indent="yes" is there to be used, 
and I need a way to exclude some elements (and their complete contents 
(descendants etc)) from indenting/pretty-printing. Telling me to not use 
indent="yes" does not help.


> P.S. I would also add that as a matter of procedure, we are currently
> designing the XSLT 2.0 language to meet the published requirements for XSLT
> 2.0. Although there was no formal deadline for submitting comments on the
> published requirements, we are not currently revising the requirements, and
> in the interests of getting finished, as well as sticking to our charter, we
> are trying to resist the temptation to add features that are not covered by
> the requirements.


I did not ask you to "revise the requirements".

The feature I request is not a major requirement which would fit into a 
requirements doc. It's a minor but useful feature which could be added 
to the draft for XSLT 2. I commented on the XSLT 2 draft, as solicited 
by you on
http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt20/ :
"Comments on this specification may be sent to public-qt-comments@w3.org;"

You said
"Although there was no formal deadline for submitting comments"
which indeed is correct.

http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt20req
lists
"* Improve ease of use"

Fiddling with xml:preserve etc is very tedious, so the feature I request 
would make working with XSLT much easier in this regard (getting nicely 
laid out code while preserving whitespace etc where necessary).

If you don't want feedback on missing features, you might want to say so 
in the draft.

<no-offense>
XSLT 2 won't become a language of the people if you refuse to listen to 
comments from the community, by +/- telling people who take the time to 
read and work with the draft that their needs are irrelevant.
</no-offense>

Tobi


-- 
http://www.pinkjuice.com/

Received on Sunday, 2 March 2003 10:09:12 UTC