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Stylesheet Splicer
A customizable stylesheet processor that also manages multiple versions of XSL stylesheets from a common XSLT code base.
Date Posted: June 8, 2004
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What is Stylesheet Splicer?
Stylesheet Splicer is a customizable stylesheet processor that also manages multiple versions of XSL stylesheets from a common XSLT code base. Stylesheet Splicer overcomes restrictions in the XSLT language to bring "Makefile efficiency" to the management of a library of stylesheets.
A single XSL stylesheet, with a stylesheet processor such as Stylesheet Splicer, will transform a source XML document from one format (such as ColdFusion CFXML) into a target XML document of another format (such as Rosetta PIP). Usually nodes and values not present in the source document are added. When a variety of target documents is required, a number of different stylesheets are usually prepared with extensive duplication among them. With Stylesheet Splicer, multiple stylesheets may be segmented into their unique component parts, without duplication, and assembled dynamically for the particular target variation desired. Stylesheet Splicer implements a simple preprocessor language to control the mixing and matching of XSLT fragments and also to create run-time pop-up windows, allowing users to enter XSLT parameter values needed in the transformation.
How does it work?
Stylesheet Splicer allows users familiar with the values, but not familiar with XML or XSLT, to produce a variety of XML documents. A user begins by opening the source XML document, which appears in a multi-document interface (MDI) window. From there, the user may
- Edit the document's data portions displayed to the right of the tag names
- Save the document to another file ("pretty prints" run-on documents)
- Transform the document by selecting a single XSL stylesheet by file name
- Transform the document by selecting a .BLD file name. A .BLD file presents pop-up windows that allow the user to select which XSL fragments will be included in order to dynamically produce a stylesheet for the transformation. Other customizable pop-up windows appear in which the user enters values passed as parameters into the stylesheet.
- Set validation to be disabled, defaulted, or directed to a local DTD path. Validation itself is invisible unless an error occurs.
The new XML document appears in a second MDI window where it may be compared with the source. These operations can be repeated on any MDI window displayed.
The package includes all necessary Windows executable files, detailed help panels that may be printed, and sample .XML, .BLD, and XSLT fragment files. Each installation must provide its own .XSL spreadsheets for its intended transformations.
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| | About the technology author(s):
Hal Harrison has been with IBM for 20 years, working on the hand-writing tablet, speech recognition, and other projects with an emphasis on making computers easier to use.
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