Re: [xml-dev] Self-replicating XML

[Michael Kay <mike@saxonica.com>]

On 16 Oct 2013, at 21:01, Costello, Roger L. wrote:

> Hi Folks,
> 
> [Definition] 
> 	A quine is a computer program which takes no input 
> 	and produces a copy of its own source code as its only 
> 	output. The standard terms for these programs in the 
> 	computability theory and computer science literature 
> 	are self-replicating programs, self-reproducing programs, 
> 	and self-copying programs. [1]
> 
> Below is an XSLT program that is quine.

Not on that definition it isn't. It calls the document() function, so it can't claim to "take no input". A program that copies its input, and is then run on itself, is not an interesting quine.

Michael Kay
Saxonica