xml-dev - Re: XML syntax for XPath?

[Paul Tchistopolskii <paul@qub.com>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Michael Smith <smith@xml-doc.org>

>   While the up-translation of XPath to an XML syntax can be undertaken
>   by individuals in an ad hoc way, and suited only to their own
>   purposes, I believe that it would benefit the XML-using community at
>   large if there was an officially sanctioned way to describe XPath
>   expressions in an XML instance syntax. The use of such a syntax
>   would be optional, just as the use of the full or abbreviated syntax
>   is a matter of choice.

I'l be very glad to see a particular usecase that will  require 
XML-ization of Xpath. 

I do understand the hypothetical need for XML-ization of Xpath 
( " if Xpath part of XSL will be XML-ish, that will allow me to 
transform Xpath expressions with XSL " ).

However, I don't understand why in particular somebody will 
like to transform Xpath expressions with XSL. 

My opinion on XSLT is that XSLT is like assembly language.
Writing assembly program to modify another assembly program
looks like a very strange technology to me. Yes, it is possible 
to do that, but maybe there are some better ways to do the same ?

For example, saxon:evaluate allows writing mutable stylesheets, 
avoiding the need of XSL-generating-XSL. 

My favorite example is XSL-grep. I've wrote it with XSL-generating-XSL
and then I've wrote it with saxon:evaluate. I found saxon:evaluate way 
to be much better.

However, I think that maybe I'm missing something and there *are* 
some things that are better to  be done with XSL-generating-XSL.

I'm constantly asking for particular example, but I have no luck yet.
I'll be very glad to see a particular usecase that requires XML-ization 
of Xpath.

Because I already wrote some Xpath compiler, I think that it will take 
me not more than a few days  to turn that Xpath compiler into 
Xpath->XML layer pluggable into any existing XSLT engine written 
in Java.  I just don't see a point why should it be done ....

What I'm missing ?

Rgds.Paul.