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From: "Geoff Howard" <cocoon@leverageweb.com>
To: <cocoon-dev@xml.apache.org>
Subject: RE: [RT] the quest for the perfect template language
Date: Sat, 5 Apr 2003 10:37:12 -0500
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stefano Mazzocchi [mailto:stefano@apache.org]
> Sent: Friday, April 04, 2003 9:56 AM
> To: cocoon-dev@xml.apache.org
> Subject: Re: [RT] the quest for the perfect template language
>
>
> Nicola Ken Barozzi wrote:
> >
> >
> > Stefano Mazzocchi wrote, On 03/04/2003 13.12:
> >
> >> Nicola Ken Barozzi wrote:
> >
> > ...
> >
> >>> Apart from the fact that it lacks brackets, and thus needs an extra
> >>> transformation, what does this give us?
> >>
> >>
> >> the beauty of the XSLT concepts without the mental drag of the xml
> >> syntax.

<snip/>

> I really don't understand why some of you are so emotionally attached to
> something like
>
>   <xsl:if test="count(blah) &gt; 3">
>
> but even more I'm surprised to see 'conservationism' on this list.
>
> Are you guys getting old or shy or what? ;-)
>

Just to explain my perspective...

XSLT may not be perfect (though it certainly rocks a lot of the time) but
it's
got the following going for it that hasn't been focused on here:
- Books, classes
- Widespread adoption

XML Syntax may not be perfect (for templating languages) but it's got
the following going for it:
- Books, classes
- Widespread adoption
- The attention of many corners of the IT world
- Commodity parsers
- Editor support

If you're going to invent a competitor or an offshoot, I'm all in favor of
it
if it solves the problem WRT designers.

But, thinking as a conservative business-minded adopter of technology, I am
not
going to invest (time is money) in it until it gets a lot of the same things
going
for it as above, and shows promise to get the rest.  I think there's just as
good
a chance that a great (or at least workable) wysiwyg tool will come out as
that
another template syntax/language will come out.

As an example, the "Tea" stuff may be great - it's certainly got a high
profile
spokesperson.  But when I went looking for a fresh solution to the
separation of
display and logic problem, I did not give it a second thought because there
was
no sign of widespread adoption.  To this day I have no idea what tea looks
like
or how it works, because it doesn't matter if it's good or not.

Not trying to be cynical, just pointing out that it's not just making a good
technology that's needed - it's making one that matters.

Geoff