XSLT Programmer's Reference 2nd Edition

This compact, relevant, updated version reflects recent changes in the XSLT specification and developments in XSLT parsers. The material on tools and implementations has been revised; so too have all the examples. It also includes a new chapter on writing extension functions. XML has firmly established itself as the universal standard for managing data for the web and is now being implemented on a wide scale. XSL (eXtensible Stylesheet Language), a vital companion to XML, is used for two main purposes: to format or style XML data so that it can be displayed in a browser and to transform XML data (XSLT). When you transform an XML document, you manipulate the data into a new structure, for example, re-ordering the data. This enables the same data store to be used in an unlimited number of ways. XSLT is a flexible, customizable, and cross-platform language. XSLT is a notoriously difficult language to understand, but this book, while being a complete reference to the recommendation, will also give code examples showing how it all ties together and can be effectively employed in a real-world development scenario. "This book is for programmers who want to learn how to use the XSLT language for developing web applications. The book is in four parts: a detailed introduction to the concepts of the language, a reference section giving comprehensive specifications and working examples of every feature, a development guide giving design advice and case studies for the advanced user, and a product reference detailing the features and usage of the latest versions of Microsoft MSXML, Apache Xalan, Oracle XML, open source Saxon, the TRAX API and other processors and tools."--BOOK JACKET. This reference defines the syntax rules, attributes, effect, and usage of the key language features of XSLT, and offers design advice and case studies for the advanced user. Elements, expressions, patterns, and functions are listed alphabetically in separate sections. The second edition reflects the new working draft of XSLT 1.1., and adds more descriptions of XSLT products. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR What is this book about? This compact, relevant, updated version reflects recent changes in the XSLT specification and developments in XSLT parsers. The material on tools and implementations has been revised; so too have all the examples. It also includes a new chapter on writing extension functions.