XSLT 2.0: function-available() for stylesheet functions

Hi,

the 2.0 spec says that function-available() can be used to test for the
existence of functions defined with xsl:function.

I always thought that the function-available() and element-available()
functions are there to inquire properties of the *implementation*. I think
it's a bad idea to mix this purpose with the inquiry of properties of the
*program*.

After all, I cannot test for the existence of named template rules either:
There is no template-available() function. And I don't think there *should*
be an inquiry function for named templates or functions. It is not an option
for a conforming 2.0 implementation whether it makes an xsl:function-defined
function "available" -- it *must* do so.

Besides, more sophisticated implementations will not even *have* the name of
the functions at run-time, because calling is not based on names, but on
(something similar to) addresses.


Best regards,

Karsten Bohlmann

Server Infrastructure Technology
SAP AG

Received on Monday, 15 April 2002 09:16:03 UTC