[oXygen-user] Is it possible to do a batch conversion using a transformation scenario?

[Are Gulbrandsen]

Hi

Last fall we did a large evaluation of HTML- and XML-editors with 
WebDAV-support, and sent you a feature request for secure webdav 
support, and we're happy that you have implemented this.

I'm currently evaluating the oXygen editor, and is testing oXygen 4.0 
under Mac OS X 10.3.3.

I have a few questions about the transformation scenarios.

I have used the xslt debugger to make an xslt stylesheet that does an 
XML2XML transformation. I want to convert a number of XML-documents 
that use a dtd to a new document structure using an XML schema.

I have read the oXygen user guide, used the help system (which seems to 
be the same) and browsed through your mailing list archive and forum. 
After trying and failing a bit, the use of the transformation scenario 
and the use of macros is still unclear to me.

I was hoping it would be possible to configure a transformation 
scenario to do a batch conversion, but I can't se how to do this. I 
hope you can tell me if this is possible, and how.

Basically I want to do the following:
Source files: file:/originalDocuments/*.xml
XSLT: conversionRules.xsl
Output: file:/convertedDocuments/${cfn}Converted.xml

The use of the macro ${cfn}Converted would mean that a document with 
original name dok1.xml would be renamed doc1Converted.xml.

Feedback and feature request:
------------------------------------------
(This is my personal feedback and feature requests, not  connected to 
the evaluation I'm doing.)

In the user guide you write that there are two types of scenarios:
- applying to XML-files
- applying to XSL-files

It actually took a little time to figure out that the only way to 
change the type of scenario was to select a differt type of document as 
the active document. (to change between an xsl or xml document as the 
active document)
Why not make only one "configure transformation scenario"-window which 
did not depend on the context? (With context I mean the dependence of 
the active selected document type.)

To me the two types of scenarios just reflect two perspectives when 
working on a conversion. I think it would make much more sense to 
assume that for a transformation you will always need to specify the 
following:
- a source (XML)
- a transformation (XSL)
- an output

The source:
----------------
It should be possible to choose either an open document, a URI or a 
macro.
It should be possible to specify a directory for batch processing of 
many files.

The transformation
--------------------------
It should be possible to choose either an open document or a URI to the 
XSL document.

The output
---------------
It should be possible to choose either
- to open the resulting document in the editor
- to specity a save URI
- to specify a macro.

It should be possible to specify an output  directory and changes in 
filename for batch processing of many files.


Best Regards,
Are D. Gulbrandsen
The XML-group,
Center for Information Technology Services
University of Oslo
Norway