Add XSLT transform element to head element set

Hi,

A simple but powerful extension would be to add the XSLT transform element to the head
element set. The stylesheet in it would be executed on the instance data during the validate
operation, right before the actual validation is done.

A use case is for example to filter out "work elements" in a "work namespace" which are
scattered through the instance data. A "work space" could also be created through the ref
attribute of submitinfo. Anything next to the tree which will be submitted can be considered
a work space.

This doesn't work in all cases though. In a repeating structure, for example, it is not possible
to maintain a work space node-set which maps one-to-one to the bound node-set of the
repeat element. The work space elements could be inserted and deleted, together with the
main elements, but not addressed. That is because the XPath expression to do that would have
to use the root context instead of the normal evaluation context. In that expression the value
of the position() function in the normal evaluation context is not available, unless there would
have been (local) variables. That variable could be set starting from the normal evaluation
context and evaluated starting from the root context.

As a consequence, if one needs work elements in a repeating structure, they have to be
maintained in the instance data, next to the actual elements the structure is supposed to
manipulate.

The transform element would make it easier to create self-contained forms for already
existing XML messaging applications.

Regards,

Werner.
-- 
Werner Donné  --  Re BVBA
Engelbeekstraat 8		Papenhof 15
B-3300 Tienen			B-3583 Beringen
tel: (+32) 486 425803	e-mail: werner.donne@re.be

Received on Thursday, 10 January 2002 12:17:05 UTC