Re: [xml-dev] Using XML for a publicatin framework

Hi, Sikri!

We are deploying now a Java/XML/XSLT framework for dynamic site component
deployment. It has similar functionality to yours; except that it doesn't
use XSP (it is too hard binding to Cocoon, which is not desireable), it uses
plain servlet container, XML parser, XSLT parser, XForms parser, RDF parser
and XML-DBMS middleware framework. And it is pretty scalable :-).
In fact instead of XML inclusion we bind a prepared and cached trees just
into XSLT stylesheet as a parameter (a node-set, not plain string). In Java
that trees are just a DOM nodes, in stylesheet they're a nodesets.


 SY> Hi All,
 SY> We are in the process of designing a Java Publication framework, and
 SY> we are evaluating how Java & XML can support our needs.

 SY> This is how we are looking to architect the website:
 SY> - Map the website into multiple pages - Each page has a XML file
 SY> associated with it, and its corresponding XSL file.
 SY> - A XML file can be composed of both text (for content) and other
 SY> "complex"
 SY> tags( I would refer to this as a gadget, which embeds a
 SY> functinonality in itself).
 SY> - A gadget inturn has a XML and XSL associate with it, and can have
 SY> both static data and other gadgets.
 SY> (Thus a page is composed of a recursive set of gadgets or tags which
 SY> have their own XML/XSL)

 SY> An example of a page:

 SY> Lets assume that a Web page(MainPage) has a left sidebar, top bar,
 SY> main navigation and right side bar.The right sidebar inturn has a
 SY> search box, related links section, and personalized data.

 SY> The XML for "MainPage" as follows:
 SY> <Root>
 SY> <Gadget name="rightsidebar" handler="..">
 SY> <Gadget name="topbar" handler="..">
 SY> <Gadget name="leftsidebar" handler="..">
 SY> <Gadget name="maincontent" handler="..">
 SY> </Root>

 SY> The XML for "leftsidebar" as follows:
 SY> <Gadget name="search" handler="..">
 SY> <Gadget name="relatedlinks" handler="..">
 SY> <Gadget name="MyOptions" handler="..">


 SY> The XML for "search" as follows:
 SY> <Root>
 SY> <Search Option="section1">
 SY> </Root>

 SY> .....

 SY> So what we want to do here is have the xsp call the main XML page,
 SY> which will call the xsp for the gadget, and this will happen in a
 SY> recursive manner till all gadgets are resolved, and the final page
 SY> is displayed with content.

 SY> Questions:
 SY> - Are there XML Parsers/frameworks that supports such recursive
 SY> resolution of gadgets, or can something like this be practical to
 SY> build and maintain.
 SY> - Has anyone used cocoon and used it to fulfill such a framework.

__
Peter V. Mikhalenko
Lead Developer
Sigent Interactive Agency