Re: injecting options and parameters into XProc

/ James Fuller <james.fuller.2007@gmail.com> was heard to say:
| this is a perfect characterization of the use case I am trying to
| describe ..... I just can't find it explicitly stated in the spec
| (like with parameters) anywhere ;)

Ok, that's just an oversight. As the spec currently says for inputs
(and analagously for outputs), "how inputs are connected to XML
documents outside the pipeline is implementation-defined" it should
probably also say "how the initial values of pipeline options and
parameters are specified are implementation-defined" or words to that
effect.

| here is an paraphrased example
|
| I use p:xslt2, in multiple places in an example xproc
|
| <p:xslt2">
|      <p:option name="allow-version-mismatch" value="true"/>
|      <p:option name="output-base-uri"/>
|      <p:option name="allow-collections" value="true"/>
| </p:xslt2>
|
| I would like to define in the declare-step a default value of false
| for 'allow-version-mismatch' in library.xml.
|
| <p:declare-step type="p:xslt2">
|      <p:option name="allow-version-mismatch" value="false"/>
| </p:declare-step>
|
| but I would like to be able to override this by defining via commandline

There's no provision for redefining the declaration of standard or
optional steps. However, you could do this:

<p:pipeline>
  <p:option name="allow-xslt2-version-mismatch" value="false"/>
  ...

  <p:xlst2>
    <p:option name="allow-version-mismatch" select="$allow-xslt2-version-mismatch"/>
    ...

then you could set the initial value of $allow-xslt2-version-mismatch" from
the command line if your impl allows it.

| some other thoughts;
|
| perhaps we are confusing things with serialization options?

I don't follow that.

| btw, as an aside (and to confuse this thread), here is my top
| confusing terms list in Xproc (things I know end users will have a
| problem grokking 1st time around)
|
| * ensuring users know the difference between options and parameters
|
| * ensuring users know how inputs (and outputs) interact with steps
|
| * discussing atomic versus compound steps, whilst also discussing
| subpipeline and pipelines

I concede that those are some of the more subtle parts of XProc. If you
have any specific suggestions...

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

-- 
Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com> | There has never been a perfect
http://nwalsh.com/            | government, because men have passions;
                              | and if they did not have passions,
                              | there would be no need for
                              | government.-- Voltaire