Re: [xml-dev] ANN: Updated XProc tutorial

[Ken Starks <ken@lampsacos.demon.co.uk>]

Costello, Roger L. wrote:
> Hi Ken,
>
>   
>> If you know Cocoon, how would you compare them ?
>>     
>
> Sorry, I don't know Cocoon. Perhaps others on the list do? Can you characterize Cocoon's pipeline capabilities?
>
>
> /Roger
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>   
It has XML to XML processing in the middle, which is called the
'Transform' stage.
There is also the possibility of some Java being called there, using 
'sitemap variables'.
You get access to such things as cookies, session variables, browser 
variable, and so on.

At the end you get a choice of 'Serializers' which can turn your XML 
into non-XML formats
(for example PDF, html, rdf, spreadsheet, tsv, Midi, ... )

At the start, you also have a large variety of non-XML inputs, if you 
don't wish
to start with XML. These are called 'generators' and produce XML for
consumption by the Transform stage or stages.
For example relational database queries, traditional cgi-style submits,
directory listings ...

Each sitemap consists of a lot of these, chosen by something called a 
matcher,
which looks at the url that the user typed in and decides which one to 
use. These
matchers match a static value, or two kinds of wildcard, or a regular 
expression.

The Cocoon documentation is not its strong point, to say the least.
but here, to save you a frustrating time searching around, are
three get-you-going links:

1. SAMPLES (online) from Cocoon version 2.1.10:
http://cocoon.jsp-servlet.net/samples/hello-world/
(I recommend the Hello World and Internationalization samples.
The Internationalisation sitemap is quite good - scroll down to the
'pipelines' part and you may be able to see the basic ideas)

2. Summary of main features of Cocoon
http://cocoon.apache.org/2.1/features.html

3. If you click on 'Documentation' on http://cocoon.apache.org/2.1/
the menu opens out to the next level, but nothing else happens.
Keep clicking until you get a reaction in the main window, and then 
explore ...

e.g.  Documentation --> Overview --> (on that page ) Overview of XML
document processing [Understanding Cocoon]
which leads to a more thorough explanation with diagrams of the sitemap
concept and more at
http://cocoon.apache.org/2.1/userdocs/concepts/index.html

In spite of the fact that I really like Cocon 2.1.11 , I might 'jump 
ship' to XProc
rather than moving on to cocoon 2.2 which I don't much like.


Yours Sincerely,
Ken.