Re: p:exec -- can it apply to only selected parts of input using a loop?

I think of p:viewport as the counterpart to p:for-each that doesn't split up
the input into a sequence of documents.  I think of it like the "map"
function in most languages - apply an operation to a sequence but don't
modify the structure.
The name was a big stumbling block for me as to what it's actually for when
I first got started.
I would prefer a name like "map" or at least something that more strongly
ties it to p:for-each.

(I know languages like Ruby, Python, JavaScript, and Scala have both map and
foreach counterparts.  And then languages like Haskell, XQuery, and XSLT
don't differentiate between the two as they're functional/declarative
languages.)
-Leif Warner

On Sat, Feb 5, 2011 at 4:09 AM, Alex Muir <alex.g.muir@gmail.com> wrote:

> Sorry if I was a bit annoying on this posting but I found the discussion
> instructive and the emotion I was trying to convey from the keyboard was one
> of positive inquisitive criticism. I had some more thoughts on this which
> led to some observations.
>
> Jostein opened my eyes to the fact that viewport is more a for-each-match
> than a modify nodes.
>
> The thought came to mind that this common xslt pattern could be thought of
> as a viewport in some way.
>
> <xsl:template match="*">
>     <xsl:copy>
>       <xsl:copy-of select="@*"/>
>       <xsl:apply-templates/>
>     </xsl:copy>
>   </xsl:template>
>
> <xsl:template match="some/path">
>   ...
> </xsl:template>
>
>
> I studied more about the difference between for-each and viewport in the
> spec.
>
> I noted from the spec that one important difference is that for-each can
> apply to a "sequence of documents" and viewport applies to a "single
> document" both "applying its subpipeline to one or more subtrees".
>
> I had not yet seen an example applying for-each to a sequence of documents
> as it's input but would like to see one. Rather the examples I have seen are
> all applying a for-each to one input document like a directory list and say
> outputting a sequence of documents.
>
>
> I note the spec says when describing p:iteration-position "Both p:for-each
> and p:viewport process a sequence of documents."
>
> and that
>
> "Within a p:viewport, the p:iteration-position and p:iteration-size are
> taken from the sequence of documents that will be processed by the
> p:viewport. The total number of documents is the p:iteration-size; the
> ordinal value of the current document (the document appearing on the current
> port) is the p:iteration-position.?"
>
>
> So I'm wondering what is being conveyed by the descriptions regarding
> viewport as working with a sequence of documents or single documents. Is
> this a contradiction or is there a reason the spec speaks of sequences of
> documents and a single document with relation to viewport?
>
>
> Regards
> Alex
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Wed, Feb 2, 2011 at 1:14 PM, Jostein Austvik Jacobsen <
> josteinaj@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Also, viewports are useful for other stuff than just modifying a document.
>>
>> For instance, what if you wanted to store all HTML elements as separate
>> HTML files but ignore all TEXT elements? in this case p:modifySubtree
>> and p:modifyNode wouldn't be meaningful.
>>
>> I look at p:viewport as a kind of advanced version of p:for-each. If it
>> had to be renamed, then maybe p:for-each-match ?
>>
>> Anyway, I like "p:viewport" - both the step and it's name :)
>>
>> Regards
>> p:viewport-fan
>>
>> 2011/2/2 <vojtech.toman@emc.com>
>>
>> > Vojtech,, although I understand your points fully they
>>> > speak to me that viewport is talking about something
>>> > other than xml documents.
>>>
>>> Yes, the original viewport definition(s) may be unrelated to XML, but
>>> that does not mean we cannot take existing concepts and apply them to XML,
>>> or to any other area.
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Viewport :)
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Vojtech Toman
>>> Consultant Software Engineer
>>> EMC | Information Intelligence Group
>>> vojtech.toman@emc.com
>>> http://developer.emc.com/xmltech
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Alex
> -----
> Currently:
> Freelance Software Engineer 6+ yrs exp
>  <http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bafila/125611807494851>
> Previously:
> https://sites.google.com/a/utg.edu.gm/alex/
>
>
> A Bafila, is two rivers flowing together as one:
> http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bafila/125611807494851
>
>
>
>