XSLT File Editer

Purpose

As XSL transformations are used in many parts of Eden and is becoming more important. We need a tool to create XSL files. It should be easy to use because implementers are no developers. The tool should give the user the ability to generate a XSL file out of a XSD. The XSL file would eventually, produce an output that is, in human readable form, specified by the user. Most common output file types are: E-Mail, HTML, pure text, XML. This tool would be available as an object or plug-in that developers can embed in to any module to extent the ability for implementers to create the implementation specific XSL file.

Product Scope

The biggest challenge is finding a Web2.0 tool that can be easily integrated with Eden. There are a plethora of off-line tools.

Objectives

• Easy to use
• Eden module
• Possibility to use an XSD which contains the possible elements of the input XML

Benefits

• Preview feature
• Realtime UI updates / Use of the Error panel

Example use-case

A possible use-case is the CAP broker currently beeing developed. It uses XML transformations to format the output. Integrators could generate a XSL to offer different output modes like SMS or Twitter.

Features

Use Case

Description & Functions

• Step 1) User had to upload an XSD -> XML Elements should be shown in the "Available XML Elements" panel
• Step 1b) The user can upload an XML if he/she wants to use the preview Feature (Step 3)
• Step 2) User enters the text. The XML elements are on the right side, a click on one of them adds it to the text.
• Step 2b) 2 tabs: 1) Normal text 2) Includes XSL tags
• Step 2c) "XSL Output types" dropdown contains different modes for the output
• Step 2d) Errors are shown in the "Errors" panel
• Step 3) User can download the XSL or refresh the "Preview" field based on the XML uploaded at Step 1b)

Mock GUI

This GUI (without functionality) is available on ​ GitHub

Recommended Approach

XSL creation out of XSD & Text

This is the hardest part. It is quite hard to find any working, open-source solution for this. I think it would be the best to code this ourselves. I would suggest Javascript only here. Remember that the Errors-Panel needs to be real-time.

Preview Panel

• There are some possibilities to do ​ XSL transformations using Javascript. It's quite good implementation for XSL transformations, unfortunately this is Firefox only, so maybe no option for us.
• A better (but untested solution) would be this ​ jQuery plugin.
• Apparently the best solution is ​ developed by Google. It is platform independent and bugs are closed relatively fast after they are discovered

All Javascript only.

Similar Tools

​ W3Schools XSLT Editor has similar functions but a quite limited GUI.