Re: Status of XSL and CSS?

Paul Prescod wrote:
> 
> Bill Wadley wrote:
> >
> > Hello!
> >
> > I'm wondering what the current thinking is regarding XSL and CSS. I've read
> > some archived messages by Paul Prescod and Simon St.Laurent
> > (http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-svg/1999Feb/), but can't tell in
> > which direction the SVG-WG is looking.
> 
> The basis of the debate was that SVG diagrams are not generalized markup
> and therefore the usual principles of stylesheet use DO NOT APPLY.

Right.

> SVG is
> a formatter-specific graphics language. 

No, it isn't formatter-specific at all. I'm not sure what you are trying
to say here.

> Stylesheet use in SVG document will be rare 

I hope not; SVG is explicitly intended to be stylable. For example, you
can link to a symbol library and then restyle those componenents.

> for the same reason that stylesheets are hardly ever used in
> vector graphics languages and formatting-specific languages like Word.

They are hardly ever used in other vector graphics l;anguages because
no-one saw the need, until now; and I think that the reason many
wordprocessors do not have their stylesheets used much is because the UI
is clunky and thus patchwork overides are easier for users than
structured styling.

> Most SVG will be generated SVG

Yes, there are only so many numbers you want to type in by hand

> -creating tools will not encourage

You don't know that, unless you are aware of more product plans than I
am

>  and may  not even allow stylesheet use.

They may not, but the generated SVG can still be styled even if the
original generating application did not produce any styling.

> I argued that since most SVG will be generated and stylesheet-less it
> should be optimized for ease of generation, and should not penalize
> "inline style" in the way that HTML does (for historically good reason).

OIK, I see where you are going. Yes, inline style in SVG is perfectly
fine (although not the only option) and, for inline style, CSS is
suitable wheras XSL is not.

> So no, my position is not that XSL is better for SVG. CSS is great -- just
> don't make it so difficult to use and process.

I don't see that it is difficult to use and process.

> Stylesheet use should be a valid choice. Inline style should be another.

External stylesheets and inline stylesheets are both stylesheets. One
just has implicit selectors, is all.

--
Chris

Received on Thursday, 8 April 1999 13:22:53 UTC