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Re: [xsl] A Question **TO** XSLT Newbies

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James J. Ramsey wrote:

--- Andrew Watt <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

1. What do I want to output?
2. Where will get that data?
3. How can I code it?

I'd suggest separating point 3 into two subpoints:

3a. *How* will I get the data?
3b. How will I channel that data into the output?

In my short experience with XSLT, point 3a was the
difficult part. I knew what data I wanted, but didn't
know at the time how to get to it. That's especially a
difficulty if one is not in control of the format of
the data source.

I have to agree on this one. Frankly, I found XSLT itself to be fairly easy to learn, once I got into it. And thinking declaritively in general wasn't a problem. It's figuring out how to pull data out properly that is the problem, vis, XPath. I HATE XPath. :-) I don't know how universal this is, but XPath is always the part of any XSLT script that gives me the most hassle, every single time.

--
Larry Garfield			AIM: LOLG42
larry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx		ICQ: 6817012

"If nature has made any one thing less susceptible than all others of exclusive property, it is the action of the thinking power called an idea, which an individual may exclusively possess as long as he keeps it to himself; but the moment it is divulged, it forces itself into the possession of every one, and the receiver cannot dispossess himself of it." -- Thomas Jefferson


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