Re[2]: [lmi] calculation summaries

[Vadim Zeitlin]

 Hello again,

 I'd like to propose the revised plan of action, based on using libxslt for
producing the HTML output from XML data using XSLT. We (well, mostly
Eugene) spent some time on learning about the possibilities that XSLT gives
us and, AFAICS, it allows to do everything we need and do it in a clean and
easily customizable and extendible way while keeping the main C++ code
simple so it does look like the best solution.

 So now the plan:

1. We need to merge libxmlpp_branch into the trunk: indeed, we need to use
   libxslt and it doesn't make sense to redo the work already done for
   libxml++ itself on that branch once again. I realise that this may create
   some problems but it really has to be done and more we delay it, more
   difficult it's going to become. The only alternative would be to do all
   the work on libxmlpp_branch but I really don't think it's a good idea as
   merging all the changes at once into the trunk later will be even more
   problematic.

2. Agree on the format of the XML data file. Currently it already has all
   the data we need to produce the HTML from it but its format is a bit
   too verbose and not ideal from the point of view of XSLT so, if
   possible, we'd like to simplify it. I won't speak about this in details
   because I'm not sure if this is acceptable at all, e.g. if there are
   other tools which depend on the current format then it probably isn't
   and we shouldn't even spend time on discussing it. But if it is, please
   let me know and I'll post the proposed new format in another thread.

3. Create another XML file containing the information about the columns
   (their names, titles) and format of the data. Currently it would have
   to be modified manually if the required report format changes but the
   plan is to allow customizing it from the GUI in the future (i.e. add
   a "Report format" dialog which would generate this XML file dynamically)

4. Write the XSLT allowing to transform the XML file from (2) using the
   parameters from the XML file from (3) into HTML 3 document suitable for
   display in both wxHTML and a standard browser. Eugene already has a
   prototype of such XSLT (tested with manual invocation of xsltproc) so
   we're pretty confident this can be done.

5. Completely remove the current HTML generation code and replace it with
   libxslt call applying the XSLT file (4).

 Please let me know what do you think about this plan and whether we can
start working on it -- and knowing the relatively tight deadlines for this
work I'd like to start as soon as possible.

 Thank you in advance,
VZ