RE: Does XProc support event-driven processing?

OK after thinking for a bit, here are some possible use-cases for triggers,
or hooks, or something like that: how would we do these in xproc today?  I
have to apologize if this is all worked out already in the spec: I'm really
just getting up to speed here and evaluating how we might use xproc in our
workflows.

1) Instrumenting the pipeline
Say you want to implement something with cross-cutting concerns like a
debugger, profiler or logger.  
This would be something you could apply to *any* xproc pipeline without
modifying it.

2) Intercepting outbound requests
For example, you want to implement a URL handler that takes http requests
and redirects them to somewhere else; say you're running unit tests, and
want to run against a collection of test files rather than live data out in
the wild.
You don't want to modify your pipeline, you want to embed it in a test
environment.

that's all

-Mike


> -----Original Message-----
> From: xproc-dev-request@w3.org 
> [mailto:xproc-dev-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Mike Sokolov
> Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 5:53 PM
> To: 'Costello, Roger L.'; xproc-dev@w3.org
> Subject: RE: Does XProc support event-driven processing?
> 
> 
> I dunno, I'm thinking it sounds like taking a nice 
> well-defined processing model and throwing in extra goodies 
> without a compelling use-case.  Also, I have visions of 
> spaghetti control-flow.  Triggers are really useful in a 
> database environment since they allow you to get your code to 
> run when a system event that is out your control occurs (ie a 
> data update).  In xproc, you're already running *your code*, 
> so why do you need a trigger?
> 
> -Mike
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: xproc-dev-request@w3.org
> > [mailto:xproc-dev-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Costello, Roger L.
> > Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 5:46 PM
> > To: xproc-dev@w3.org
> > Subject: RE: Does XProc support event-driven processing?
> > 
> > 
> >  
> > > could you just *always* sum the quantity * cost = total-cost as a 
> > > step near the end of your pipeline
> > 
> > Let's look beyond the particular example and generalize:
> > 
> >    Databases have triggers; that is, the 
> >    ability to associate rules with cells, 
> >    e.g. on update, insert or delete of cell A, 
> >    execute rule ABC.
> > 
> >    I think it would be powerful to have an
> >    analogous capability in XProc: if any step
> >    in the pipeline updates, inserts, or deletes
> >    element X, execute rule XYZ.
> > 
> > Then, an XProc library could be used as a "rules library."
> > The rules are triggered when certain user-defined events 
> > occur in the pipeline.
> > 
> > What do you think?
> > 
> > /Roger
> > 
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Mike Sokolov [mailto:sokolov@ifactory.com]
> > > Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 4:49 PM
> > > To: Costello, Roger L.; xproc-dev@w3.org
> > > Subject: RE: Does XProc support event-driven processing?
> > > 
> > > Seems naive, but could you just *always* sum the quantity * cost =
> > > total-cost as a step near the end of your pipeline (after all 
> > > possibility of updating merch)?
> > > 
> > > -Mike
> > > 
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: xproc-dev-request@w3.org 
> [mailto:xproc-dev-request@w3.org] 
> > > > On Behalf Of Costello, Roger L.
> > > > Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 4:32 PM
> > > > To: xproc-dev@w3.org
> > > > Subject: RE: Does XProc support event-driven processing?
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > >  
> > > > > Can you elaborate on what you mean by "changes" ?
> > > > 
> > > > Suppose this XML document is flowing through an XProc pipeline:
> > > > 
> > > > <purchases date="2009-05">
> > > >     <merchandise>
> > > >         <name>Sony HT-IS100 BRAVIA Home Theater Micro
> > System</name>
> > > >         <cost currency="USD">299.00</cost>
> > > >         <quantity>1</quantity>
> > > >     </merchandise>
> > > >     <merchandise>
> > > >         <name>ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Netbook Computer</name>
> > > >         <cost currency="USD">379.00</cost>
> > > >         <quantity>1</quantity>
> > > >     </merchandise>
> > > >     <merchandise>
> > > >         <name>Sony ICD-PX720 Digital Voice Recorder</name>
> > > >         <cost currency="USD">49.00</cost>
> > > >         <quantity>1</quantity>
> > > >     </merchandise>
> > > >     <total-cost currency="USD">727.00</total-cost>
> > > > </purchases>
> > > > 
> > > > I think it would be powerful to be able to attach this 
> rule to the 
> > > > pipeline:
> > > > 
> > > >    If any of the steps change the value of  
> > > >    a <quantity> element, fire a step 
> > > >    to update <total_cost>.
> > > > 
> > > > Is there a way to express this?
> > > > 
> > > > /Roger
> > > > 
> > > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > > From: mozer [mailto:xmlizer@gmail.com]
> > > > > Sent: Sunday, June 14, 2009 2:26 PM
> > > > > To: Costello, Roger L.
> > > > > Cc: xproc-dev@w3.org
> > > > > Subject: Re: Does XProc support event-driven processing?
> > > > > 
> > > > > Can you elaborate on what you mean by "changes" ? 
> Where ? In a 
> > > > > Database ? In a file ? Which one ?
> > > > > 
> > > > > Regards,
> > > > > 
> > > > > Xmlizer
> > > > > 
> > > > > On Sun, Jun 14, 2009 at 4:49 PM, Costello, Roger
> > > > > L.<costello@mitre.org> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Hi Folks,
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Does XProc support event-driven processing?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Here's an example to illustrate what I mean:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >   Hey, any time during the pipeline processing,
> > > > > >   if the value of <Purchase_Quantity> changes,
> > > > > >   fire a step to update <Total_Cost>.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Can you think of a way to express this in XProc?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > /Roger
> > > > > >
> > > > > 
> > > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > 
> 
> 
>

Received on Sunday, 14 June 2009 22:03:10 UTC