Using XSLT to extend XHTML

E

Eric Anderson

I am trying to use XSLT to extend XHTML so that I can have custom
widgets. For example I have a calendar control. Whenever I put the
following in the psudo-XHTML doc:

<calendarbox name="mycal"/>

I get a nice xhtml text box with a calendar icon beside it. When the
calendar icon is clicked a calender pops up to allow the user to choose
the date. Then the value chosen is stuck in the xhtml text field and can
be submitted with the form. I have this working quite well but I have
one problem. My general strategy has been to have my xhtml doc call a
similarly named xsl file. This xsl file imports some general xsl
templates and also imports some xsl templates for specific functionality
used in the xhtml doc. Now some of the imported xsl templates may need
to add stylesheet and script tags to the xhtml head tag. How do I add
this information while still allowing other templates to add their style
and script tags. Let me give you a simplified example:

foo.xhtml
---------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="/structure/foo.xsl"?>

<html>
<head>
<title>My title</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/style/foo.css"/>
</head>
<body>
<specialwidget/>
</body>
</html>

foo.xsl
-------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<xsl:import href="general.xsl"/>
<xsl:import href="widgets.xsl"/>
<xsl:import href="site.xsl"/>

</xsl:stylesheet>

First thing to note is that foo.xhtml could have style and script
information itself. The second thing to note is that any of the imported
xsl files in foo.xsl could add style and script information that their
custom widgets might need.

My goal is to encapsulate the external dependencies that each imported
xsl file needs so that all I have to do is import the xsl file. The
imported style will take care of adding those dependencies to the header.

Any suggestions?

Eric
 
T

Tjerk Wolterink

Eric said:
I am trying to use XSLT to extend XHTML so that I can have custom
widgets. For example I have a calendar control. Whenever I put the
following in the psudo-XHTML doc:

<calendarbox name="mycal"/>

I get a nice xhtml text box with a calendar icon beside it. When the
calendar icon is clicked a calender pops up to allow the user to choose
the date. Then the value chosen is stuck in the xhtml text field and can
be submitted with the form. I have this working quite well but I have
one problem. My general strategy has been to have my xhtml doc call a
similarly named xsl file. This xsl file imports some general xsl
templates and also imports some xsl templates for specific functionality
used in the xhtml doc. Now some of the imported xsl templates may need
to add stylesheet and script tags to the xhtml head tag. How do I add
this information while still allowing other templates to add their style
and script tags. Let me give you a simplified example:

foo.xhtml
---------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="/structure/foo.xsl"?>

<html>
<head>
<title>My title</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/style/foo.css"/>
</head>
<body>
<specialwidget/>
</body>
</html>

foo.xsl
-------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<xsl:import href="general.xsl"/>
<xsl:import href="widgets.xsl"/>
<xsl:import href="site.xsl"/>

</xsl:stylesheet>

First thing to note is that foo.xhtml could have style and script
information itself. The second thing to note is that any of the imported
xsl files in foo.xsl could add style and script information that their
custom widgets might need.

My goal is to encapsulate the external dependencies that each imported
xsl file needs so that all I have to do is import the xsl file. The
imported style will take care of adding those dependencies to the header.

Any suggestions?

Eric

You should use a namespace for your controls:

like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="/structure/foo.xsl"?>

<html xmlns:widgets="http://www.yourpage.com/namespace">>
<head>
<title>My title</title>
<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/style/foo.css"/>
</head>
<body>
<widgets:specialwidget/>
</body>
</html>

And your xsl could match widges:specialwidget

Hope you understand. Learn more about namespaces too, its really cool
 

Ask a Question

Want to reply to this thread or ask your own question?

You'll need to choose a username for the site, which only take a couple of moments. After that, you can post your question and our members will help you out.

Ask a Question

Members online

No members online now.

Forum statistics

Threads
473,990
Messages
2,570,211
Members
46,796
Latest member
SteveBreed

Latest Threads

Top