RE: Application Design

[Don Park <donpark@docuverse.com>]

> XSLT is an example of a 20/80 point technology:-) It
> gets you 80% towards a solution quickly but makes the remaining
> 20% either impossible or so hard that the time it takes to get
> that last 20% done, wipes out the gains you made on the
> first 80%!

I agree completely.  Even worse, XSLT is pretty low in the list of 'things
to learn' for average engineers unlike Java, JavaScript, HTML, and XML.
This means that, in most situations, there will not be anyone to maintain
XSLT-based solutions.

Technolgies like XSLT, XLink, and XML Schema differs from XML-DSIG or XKMS
in:

 1. level of expertise needed to use.

XML-DSIG or XKMS implementations are usually hidden behind APIs which can be
used without knowing much about XML-DSIG or XKMS.  XSLT, XLink, and XML
Schema are more 'hands-on' tools which you are likely to be using everyday.
You cannot use them without investing time to learn them.

 2. rate of change

Anything built with XSLT, XLink, and XML Schema are likely to require
constant maintenance.  This means you must have the expertise in-house.

Building a city is easier than running it.  If you are going to build Rome
in a day, make sure there are plenty of plumbers.

Best,

Don Park
Docuverse