Synopses & Reviews
XSLT is an essential tool for converting XML into other kinds of documents: HTML, PDF file, and many others. It's a critical technology for XML-based platforms such as Microsoft .NET, Sun Microsystems' Sun One, as well as for most web browsers and authoring tools. As useful as XSLT is, however, most people have a difficult time getting used to its peculiar characteristics. The ability to use advanced techniques depends on a clear and exact understanding of how XSLT templates work and interact.
The XSLT 1.0 Pocket Reference from O'Reilly wants to make sure you achieve that level of understanding. With its concise approach, this handy pocket guide quickly gets you up to speed on XSLT 1.0 so you can covert XML like a seasoned pro. In addition to covering the basics of stylesheet structure, it also explains how to:
- use template rules
- create a result tree
- apply conditional processing
- transform multiple source documents
- employ number formatting
Thanks to their convenient, quick-reference format, O'Reilly's Pocket References spare you from having to hunt through larger books for answers. They deliver just what you need to get the job done in a timely fashion. And the XSLT 1.0 Pocket Reference is no different--it's the ideal companion to have at your desk when you need an answer fast.
Synopsis
XSLT 1.0 is not going away yet. While other publishers have geared up for the long-delayed 2.0 version of this vital XML conversion language, we've correctly read the changing winds of fortune and produced this much-needed quick reference to the current uses of vl.0. Developers will rely on it for quite a while. There's been great anticipation surrounding the release of XSLT 2.0, the new version of the language that's critical for converting an XML document into another type of document. But XSLT 2.0's massive increase in complexity and continuing delays have put it on the shelf for a long time--Microsoft, for one, has scuttled plans to put version 2.0 in upcoming products such as Office and the next generation Windows operating system known as Longhorn. So, XSLT 1.0 remains an essential tool for XML developers to master, but there's a dearth of books to help them learn current uses for this version. Our handy pocket guide gets developers up to speed quickly on the basics of stylesheet structure, using template rules, creating a result tree, and how to apply conditional processing. Additional information is provided on transforming multiple source documents, keys, and number formatting. When it comes to XSLT, this book helps developers learn it quickly and learn if right.
About the Author
Evan Lenz is principal of Lenz Consulting Group, an XML consulting firm. He's author of XSLT 1.0 Pocket Reference and co-author of Office 2003 XML, has served as invited expert on the W3C XSL Working Group, and most recently has taken on XBRL consulting projects, for clients including XBRL International. Lenz Consulting Group provides an array of services including content strategy consulting, custom XML training, XML information modeling, XQuery, XSLT, and XSL-FO development, specification design, and representation on standards bodies.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Data Model; 1.1 Node Types; 1.2 Node Properties; Chapter 2: The XPath Language; 2.1 Data Types; 2.2 Expression Context; 2.3 Kinds of Expressions; 2.4 Node-Set Expressions; 2.5 Number Expressions; 2.6 String Expressions; 2.7 Boolean Expressions; Chapter 3: How XSLT Works; 3.1 Stylesheet Structure; 3.2 Processing Model; 3.3 Template Rule Content; 3.4 Whitespace Stripping; 3.5 Serializing the Result Tree; 3.6 XSLT Elements by Use Case; Chapter 4: Elements; 4.1 Top-Level Elements; 4.2 Instructions; 4.3 Special Elements; 4.4 QNames; 4.5 Element Reference; Chapter 5: Functions; 5.1 XPath Functions; 5.2 XSLT Functions; 5.3 Data Type Conversions; 5.4 Function Reference; Chapter 6: Extending XSLT; 6.1 Extension Functions; 6.2 Extension Elements; 6.3 EXSLT; 6.4 EXSLT--Common; 6.5 EXSLT--Dates and Times; 6.6 EXSLT--Functions; 6.7 EXSLT--Math; 6.8 EXSLT--Random; 6.9 EXSLT--Sets; 6.10 EXSLT--Dynamic; 6.11 EXSLT--Regular Expressions; 6.12 EXSLT--Strings; XPath 1.0 Grammar; Productions from XPath 1.0; Productions from Namespaces in XML; Productions from XML 1.0; XSLT Pattern Grammar;