Use XSL

Since there isn't a way to create XML from a DTD (it is very unclear why you would want to do this anyway -- DTD defines a standard document while each "job request" is an XML instance of the document), I would suggest that you skip focusing on the incoming DTD's and rally 'round the "use XSL/XSLT instead to transform foreign XML requests into and out of the base request DTD format" idea.

You could still use each inbound DTD to validate incoming documents to ensure they are, well, valid, before you unleash your XSLT on them.

You ought to end up with four "phases" in your application thusly -- read from queue, validate document, transform document, write to queue.

Comment on Use XSL

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Re: Use XSL by jk2addict (Chaplain) on Aug 29, 2002 at 01:43 UTC
"...it is very unclear why you would want to do this anyway...' Just a thought really. Since a DTD or Schema is a roadmap to incoming XML, it would be nice if it could also be reused as a roadmap for outgoing XML (like an i/o filter). Granted, XSL/XSLT is definately a great solution, but on the downside, that means we have to write both a DTD AND an XSL/XSLT stylesheet for the outgoing transformed request. Or make the destination queue owner do it. :-) I was just thinking since we already have a DTD, why not use it again instead of having to create more files to take care and feeding of. "You ought to end up with four "phases" in your application thusly -- read from queue, validate document, transform document, write to queue." Probably 5 steps for the paranoid at heart; read from queue, validate, transform, revalidate against destination queue DTD, write to queue. :-)	[reply]

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Re: Use XSL
by jk2addict (Chaplain) on Aug 29, 2002 at 01:43 UTC

"...it is very unclear why you would want to do this anyway...'

Just a thought really. Since a DTD or Schema is a roadmap to incoming XML, it would be nice if it could also be reused as a roadmap for outgoing XML (like an i/o filter). Granted, XSL/XSLT is definately a great solution, but on the downside, that means we have to write both a DTD AND an XSL/XSLT stylesheet for the outgoing transformed request. Or make the destination queue owner do it. :-) I was just thinking since we already have a DTD, why not use it again instead of having to create more files to take care and feeding of.

"You ought to end up with four "phases" in your application thusly -- read from queue, validate document, transform document, write to queue."

Probably 5 steps for the paranoid at heart; read from queue, validate, transform, revalidate against destination queue DTD, write to queue. :-)

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