Re: XML stuff (was: UKHA Classified update - SQL Help!)

[graham@xxxxxxx]

BUTLER, Tony, FM writes:

> Not really.  You retrieve your set of data as XML in a similar way to
> retrieving a 'normal' recordset.
> You can then transform it into different things using only an
appropriate
> stylesheet - eg you want a heirarchy from your tabluar data? 
transform it!
> You want a web page?  Transform that puppy!
>
But you are saying that your XLST is on the server, so in transforming the
said pooch, does it entail a round trip to the server or is this all
performed on the client?

> I was quite sceptical of the whole XML/XSLT thing initially, and still
have
> my doubts about this wonderful interoperability lark sending a common
> invoice format for example to companines around the world.... blah
blah.
Agreed, I have some experience (at a non-technical level) with other
'interoperability' stuff like EDI and it is frequently more hassle that
it's worth.

> Where it has worked for me is when for instance data needs to be
displayed
> in a drop down combo box or a tree view - use the same data set from
the
> same business object (naturally!) and just XSLT it on the web server
to the
> appropriate format.
Again I am reading this as happening on the server, in which case what does
it offer over ASP or other server based dynamic page building? Is it simply
saving another trip to the database?

> Or in the example I did earlier, the same XML file is used to display
all
> objects accessed by a single user (as per the results) or, with a
different
> XSLT transform, a list of users who have accessed a particular object.
> I also have XML menu systems which are displayed either with pretty
icons to
> press, or in a drop down list of options - again, same data source but
> different transforms.
>
Exactly the sort of thing I try to achieve with ASP, small number of
'complex' pages that can appear in a variety of different ways.

> I don't do XML everywhere as it _can_ be more effort and ultimately
gains
> nothing, but it _can_ be a lot quicker to implement a solution with
XML than
> without.
Now you are getting into the area I am really interested in, how do I know
when to use XML without having to learn it all? I am sure there are things
that would be useful for me, but they don't seem to appear at the front of
the XML books. They spend several chapters telling me how to do stuff I can
already do and hence I lose interest.

> Certainly beats embedding HTML in the recordset you get back from SQL
Server
> as I have seen done a number of times!!!
Not something I tend to do (other than where a user has added HTML in a
text field on a form of course) but I have 'saved' a combination of
recordset data and html as a session variable for rapid deployment on
another page. This however was only done on a restricted Intranet site, I
try to avoid session and application variables on Internet sites.

Regards

Graham

P.S. I have changed the subject here because I am interested in discussing
XML further. I am happy to take it off list if no-one else is interested.