WIXLIB

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 35XSLT is Not Good at EverythingC Not at allC conversion into XMLC Non-XML data (Word, QuarkXPress, SGML)C Not as good as most “programming languages”C number crunching (arithmetic and higher math)C string processing (parsing)C really big filesC making structure where there was none(making flat files into hierarchies)slide 36XSLT is Weak on Manipulating Text (Strings)C An XSLT processor expects to work onC a tree of nodesC not an XML file of tags and textC If you have untagged files(comma delimited, space delimited, tab delimited)C there is no treeC strings must be “parsed” into piecesC XSLT does this awkwardly(XSLT 2.0 has better string manipulation than XSLT 1.0, but )Page 19

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 37What If You Need String Processing?C Use a different programming languageC Preprocess to make the data into XMLC add tagsC add nesting (make hierarchy explicit)C add end tagsslide 38Real World String Parsing ExampleThe original data looked like this: title Large Animals /title address Dallas, TX 23071 /address The Requirement was to put the name of the state before every section title title Texas Large Animals /title One solutionC run a program (Perl, etc.) to make the following title Large Animals /title address city Dallas /city , state TX /state 23071 /address C Now it’s a node in a tree, run XSLTPage 20

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 39Really Big FilesFiles are sequences of characters; XSLT works on treesC Many XSLT processorsC make the input document into a tree in memoryC make the stylesheet into another tree in memoryC make the results into more trees in memoryC Document may not fit in memoryC Usual solution is “chunking”slide 40Making Flat Files into HierarchiesC XSLT 1.0 was not designed to do thisC Sometimes you can do it anywayC using grouping techniquesC using keys (an advanced technique)C When it works (maybe 2/3) it is elegant, clever, and trickyC Success depends on the dataC information must be thereC markup must be clean and consistent(XSLT 2.0 much better at this, but still needs clear distinctions)Page 21

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 41Where XSLT Fits in ProcessingC XML used in any of the three tiers, especially in the middleC XSL is used for any processingC within the middle tier (application to application)C between tiersC database to databasePresentation LayerBrowserPrintEditingApplicationXSLT XML/ XSLTXSLT XML/ File system XML/ ApplicationformatengineXSLTXSLT XML/ XSL XML/ ProcessingXSLTLayer XML/ DOM XML/ Relational DBObject DBStorage LayerXSLT is often the mechanism represented by the arrow.Page 22OtherDevicePartnersystem

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 42How Organizations Use XSLTC Simple business transformsC Making HTML from semantically richer XMLC Single Source and Reuse PublishingC Transforms for editorial QAC XML to XML transformsC XSLT as the middle component in XSL-FOslide 43Simple Business TransformsC Data exchange between applicationsC you give me what you think I needC I take what I want in the order I want itC E-Business / E-Commerce — Translate between transaction formatsfaster, easier, better than with EDIC Portals / Web Services / Data AggregationC grab just the data you want from a repository, database, filesC rearrange it to suitC serve it forthPage 23

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 44Making HTML From Semantically Richer XMLRead in semantically rich tagging COMPUTER CLASS "Portable" MFR GCA /MFR FAMILY Laptop /FAMILY LINE Thinkie /LINE MODEL 520XL /MODEL DISK UOM "GB" 80 /DISK SPEED UOM "GHz" 3.2 /SPEED /COMPUTER Simplify it to HTML for display in any browser H2 Laptop Computer /H2 UL LI GCA Thinkie 520XL /LI LI 3.2GHz /LI LI 80GB /LI /UL (Use CSS for look-and-feel; serve to even really old browsers)slide 45Which Displays AsPage 24

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 46Single Source and Reuse Publishing(XSLT fulfills the XML promise of multiple use)C Making the output productC preparation for publishing (web and print)C Print on Demand and web servingC composition driversC QA and proofingC XML to XML transformC XSLT as the middle component in XSL-FOslide 47Construct the Output for Publishing(transformations build products)C Out of databases, rearranged for the webC Customized printing Different users getC different orderC different text or contentC same content different look-and-feelC Print on Demand (with data up to this minute)Page 25

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 48What You Want in the Order You Want ItSelect / Extract / List / OmitC Pull out the metadata to put into the catalogC Extract titles and abstracts of all articles for the advertising webpageC Extract the CME material for a special site for nursesC Get all the environmental impact materialC Publish this report with all the SECRET material removedC Get me the citations to send to the link matching serviceC My car has a sun-roof, manual transmission, and option package #4,make me my owners manualC Get me all the dosage sections that mention pregnancy restrictionsslide 49There is Not Just One Print ProductC Customization (change, assemble, or adaptbased on customer or organization)C mix and match text and graphic componentsC target specific marketsC Personalization (tailor a product to an individual person)C based on purchase, profile, historyC Internationalization (multiple languages, script, writing directions,currency)C Localization (adapting a print product to a specific locality/region)Page 26

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 50Some of the Text is Added by the Transform(textual additions are called “generated” text)Text that is not in the data, but is put in by the transform,based on the taggingFor example:C numbers or bullets that prefix list items (1., 2., 3.)(based on list-item tag)C mark a footnote reference (²) or a citation reference [Lapeyre, 2006]based on a cross-reference made with an attributeC Adding words or phrases to titles (Chapter VI Sassy Poodles)C Turning a cross reference into textC xref redid :A123456"/ intoC “See Figure 6, Herpetologist Distribution Curve”Less content maintenance!slide 51Large Structures Can be Built and Inserted as WellC Table of Contents from chapter titlesC Subject index from embedded index termsC List of Figures, Tables, Equations, Genus-species namesC Title Page from the metadata elementsC Leaning Objectives from embedded objectivesPage 27

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 52XSLT is Also Useful During ProductionTransformations for Editorial QA and ProofingC Make checklists for humans to examineC Make files for automated authority checkingC Run galleys as often as you wantC Make useful displays that will never be printedC number things that won’t be numbered on displayC if the book will say“(See Section 4.3)”put the section title into the reference“(See Section 4.3 My Life with Poodles)”C make false color proofsC ferrous materials in red and non-ferrous in greenC all skeletal system paragraphs in blue, circulatory systemparagraphs in redC a citation with author name in green, journal name in pink, year inblue, paper title in yellowPage 28

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 53False Color ProofWater is blue (italic), land is yellow (bold), and “features” are purpley(display font in the print)Page 29

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 54XML for Interchange and ArchivingXML to XML TransformsC Corporate tagset intoC client’s tagsC business partner’s tagsC Company-specific tags into Industry Standard schemaC 5 Publisher tag sets into one repository / aggregator tag setC Authoring DTD into publication DTDC 50 articles to one RSS feed of the summariesslide 55XSLT as the Middle Component in XSL-FOC XSL is a spec with two partsC XSLT (the transformation part)C XSL-FO (the formatting part)C XSL provides a tag set into which XML documentsmay be transformed (using XSLT)C describes page geometryC says how to put content on the pageXSL-FO used to make PDF (or RTF or MIF) directly from XMLPage 30

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 56How XSL-FO WorksC XSLTC transforms the inputC makes a tree of formatting objectsC An XSL-FO document isC an XML documentC with text and graphic content wrapped in formatting object tagsC XSL-FO (XSL Formatting Objects)C get processed by a rendering engine (software)C to make an output fileC a display engine (like a browser or a printer)makes the pretty outputslide 57Remember How an XSLT System WorksSourceTreeTransformerResultTree. t XSL is /t "fun". z XSL is e fun /e /z . xsl:stylesheet . /xsl:stylesheet Page 31

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 58SourceTreeTransformerResultTreeFormatter.XSL is fun. z XSL is e fun /e /z .Architecture of a Full XSL System(XSLT XSL-FO) xsl:stylesheet . /xsl:stylesheet slide 59Formatting Objects Describe Page LayoutC Page layout:C page size, margins, columnsC headers, footers, side-bars. etc.C Different page layout templates (masters) can be sequenced, e.g.C first page followed by later pagesC recto / verso alternatingC XSL-FO properties control hyphenation, widows / orphans, etc.Page 32

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 60Applying Styles through XSL FOsslide 61XSL-FO is a Great Report Writer(Pagination is not a problem)C Credit card and bank statementsC Investment portfoliosC Hospital systems reportsC Insurance policies and claimsC Patient medical chartsC Directory productsC product and editorial indiciesC company personnel listingPage 33

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 62The Last BitsC Other things you need to know about how XSLT worksC XPath for tree-walkingC Pull-style stylesheetsC XSLT 2.0 (with XPath 2.0)C How can you make yourself (or your staff) into XSLT peopleslide 63There’s Another Part of XSLTWe Haven’t Talked AboutXPathReally powerful!slide 64What is XPathC The tree-walking part of XSLTC So named because it uses a path notation with slasheslike UNIX directories and URLsplay/act/scecne/speechinvoice/customer data/customer nameCCXPath 1.0 W3C Recommendation in 1999XPath 2.0 W3C Recommendation Draft 2005(more complex, more powerful, harder to learn)Page 34

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 65XPath Has Two Main UsesC First use: AddressingC addresses (finds) part of an XML documentC can address any part of the tree from any otherC (ask for something in an XML document (“gimme my footnote!”). and get it back)C Second use in XSLT: for Testing/MatchingC test whether a node in a tree matches a patternC is this node a paragraph that is inside a footnote that has an attributecalled “footnote-type” with the value “legal”?slide 66You’ve Seen XPath in match ExpressionsC xsl:template match "title" Matches title elementsC xsl:template match "scene/title" Matches title elements that have a scene parentC xsl:template match "para[@type ’warning’]" Matches para elements that have a type attribute that has a valueof “warning”slide 67XPath Can Be Very Complex(all that power has a price)child::slide[attribute::type "overview"]/child::list[count(descendent::item) ::node(),’Business’)]]Thanks to Jeni Tennison for:select "following-sibling::transaction[@type type and substring(@date, 4, 2) ! month] [1]"Page 35

Introduction to XSLT ConceptsAnother Complexity:Push-me Pull-you Stylesheetsslide 68XSLT isC By design and default, driven by the XML input fileC That means you tell it what to do, not how or whenC Automatically recursive through the use of templatesslide 69XSLT can be Written in Two Ways (1)C Way # 1 Input-driven (called Push)C walk the input treeC match elements in input treeC do something when you find a matchC This is what XSLT was designed to doC This works the best (when it works for your data)slide 70XSLT can be Written in Two Ways (2)C Way # 2 Stylesheet driven (called Pull)C more like a typical computer programC walk the stylesheet(which specifies the order of the output document)C when it asks for data, go get it from the input treeC Similar to some fill-in-the-blank programming languagesPull stylesheets are most useful when you have very regular dataPage 36

Introduction to XSLT Conceptsslide 71What is a Pull Stylesheet?Let’s look at some XML for a menu specials-menu menu-date Friday, July 28, 2000 /menu-date spec-meat price "24.50" Pork chops with Chard& Apples /spec-meat spec-appetiz price "3.95" Seckel pears withGorgonzola and Walnuts /spec-appetiz spec-soup price "6.95" Red and YellowPepper /spec-soup spec-fish price "18.50" Seared Achoo with Risottoand Spinach /spec-fish spec-pasta price "12.25" Wagon-wheels Alfredo(with side salad) /spec-pasta spec-sweet price "12.95" Strawberry andChocolate Tart /spec-sweet /specials-menu slide 72Now Let’s Look at the StylesheetHere’s the XML file for that: html xmlns:xsl "http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"version "1.0" title Today’s Menu xsl:value-of select "//specials-menu/menu-date"/ /title

Introduction to XSLT Concepts Deborah Aleyne Lapeyre and B. Tommie Usdin Mulberry Technologies, Inc. . Where We Are Not Going in This Tutorial C What is XML, why you should care, how XML works (element, attribute, DTD, schema, entity) . Transform It into PDF (convert to PDF and display with Acrobat) Page 7 Mulberry Technologies, Inc.