ANN: XML and Databases article

[Didier PH Martin]

Hi Steven,

Steven said:
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Probably no, but it really depends on what you mean by "code."  You
have to decide how instances of nodes of particular classes and in
particular contexts will be mapped onto instances of nodes of
particular classes in the new context, and you have to express your
decisions in a formal, machine processable fashion.  Right now, using
GroveMinder, you can do that with a Python script, which seems about
as quick, intuitive, and flexible a way to do it as any.  I don't know
of any transformation specification language with which a similar feat
(transforming one kind of grove into another kind of grove) can be
done, except possibly DSSSL (which relies on (and was written in terms
of) the grove paradigm, by the way).  We haven't implemented DSSSL,
but it shouldn't be too hard to do that on top of GroveMinder.  Would
you call a DSSSL transformation specification "code"?  (I guess I
would.)

Didier says:
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You're absolutely right Steven, yes DSSSL could be made inter-operable with
grove engines quite easily. In fact, we are working on an interface for
grove engines in the OpenJade project. Actually, OpenJade includes a SGML
property set based grove and this grove "in memory" only (i.e. resident on
the heap). This limitation could be removed by allowing other grove engines
to be processed by DSSSL.

I would also call DSSSL a transformation specification code either from a
grove to a modified grove of from a grove into a flow object tree.

How can we bridge the vision to the reality simply by sitting around the
table and define the API between gove engines and transformation engines.
The DOM only reflects a particular interface to a particular property set
(If I can express myself that way). Obviously a grove is more than that
(anyway you know that). So, why not work on a grove API, publish it, and
then submit it to our collegues like those present in this list.

Call to action:
--------------
If anyone is interested by the task to define an API between grove engines
and transformation engines (XSL or DSSSL for instance), please send me an
email and we'll set a discussion group with the OpenJade team and you so
that we all together define the Linux of markup technologies ;-). Then we
will submit the document to other collegues for further discussion and
feedback.

regards
Didier PH Martin
mailto:martind at netfolder.com
http://www.netfolder.com



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