Whim

MT-Blacklist: Get On The Bus

MT-Blacklist - A Movable Type Anti-spam Plugin

Plug it in, and help the Community battle back against the Blog Spammers.

Creator Jay Allen is responsive: I put a few of my "got spam(med)" particulars into the growing Blacklist database, and within an hour got back a friendly, helpful, personal e-mail (decidely _not_ spam-like) .

Join the club, and also check out the related Clearinghouse site for scoop, comments, updates.

Finally, a useful "How To" link regarding Staying Up-To-Date.

Wm.

Somerville Spooks 'n Shrines

Gregor J. Rothfuss :: Imagination is key to your dreams coming true

Gregor's got two nice photos of the kind of stuff you see around Somerville (my town), and esp. at Hallowe'en. (Though just you wait for Christmas!).

Wm.

Slash Post Posted to Blog. Ornery XSLT Question...

Will my personal information be public if I post here?

Original Post

---

Driving me a bit crazy.

Is the use of the [1] predicate really required?

I'm finding when I remove it, I'm still getting same (correct?) results.

Seems like the 'select' attribute on a key() function's returned node-set is giving me the same thing whether I explicitly indicate I want the first one '[1]' or if I don't explictly do that. (It even seemed to return same results when I explicitly asked for [2] second node. Hmmm. (See final example below.))

Is that the nature of a 'select' attribute on a node-set, to get the first one in node-set anyway? (Hmmmm.)

I expect in the end I'm wrong about all this, and I want to believe my textbook(s)!, yet, I've not been able (yet?) to demonstrate to myself the difference.

[Please note: I do note the explanation worked through in Beginning XSLT on pages 384-385 (TVGuide8.xsl and TVGuide9.xsl), regarding getting "only one" of the elements (<Series> elements in her example). But that still doesn't address what I'm bringing up here (see "Third Example" below).]

Please somebody show me. :^)

Thanks!
(Details below.)
William Reilly

Jeni Tennison's Beginning XSLT book Code Download:
http://jenitennison.com/xslt/5946.zip

FIRST EXAMPLE (of 3)
"Apply-Templates"

Beginning XSLT, p. 386 ff.
=== TVGuide10.xsl ======
<xsl:template match="TVGuide">
<xsl:apply-templates
select="Channel/Program
[generate-id() =
generate-id(key('programsByHour',
substring(Start, 12, 2))[1])]" />

=== Same File, My Edit to Remove '[1]'======
<xsl:template match="TVGuide">
<xsl:apply-templates
select="Channel/Program
[generate-id() =
generate-id(key('programsByHour',
substring(Start, 12, 2)))]" />

=== FileCompare the Two Outputs ("no diff") ======
C:\XSLT-Beginning\Chapter10>fc XSLOutput_10.html XSLOutput_10_no1.html
Comparing files XSLOutput_10.html and XSLOUTPUT_10_NO1.HTML
FC: no differences encountered
=========

SECOND EXAMPLE (of 3)
"For-Each"

http://cscie153.dce.harvard.edu/lecture_notes/7/sl ide14.html

http://cscie153.dce.harvard.edu/lecture_notes/7/ex amples3/group3.xsl
=== group3.xsl ======
<xsl:template name="members_by_state">
<xsl:for-each select="/ushousemembers/member
[generate-id() = generate-id(
key('membersbystate',state)[1]
)
]">
=========

=== Same File, My Edit to Remove '[1]' ======
<xsl:template name="members_by_state">
<xsl:for-each select="/ushousemembers/member
[generate-id() = generate-id(
key('membersbystate',state)
)
]">
==========

=== Unix "diff" on the Two Outputs ("no diff") ===
======
$ diff out_group.html out_group_no1.html
$
=========

THIRD EXAMPLE (of 3)
"xsl:if"

Beginning XSLT, p. 385
=== TVGuide9.xsl ======
<xsl:key name="programsBySeries" match="Program" use="Series" />

<xsl:template match="Program/Series" mode="EpisodeList">
<xsl:variable name="episodes" select="key('programsBySeries', .)" />
<xsl:variable name="firstEpisode" select="$episodes[1]" />
<xsl:if test="generate-id() =
****************************************
generate-id($firstEpisode)">
****************************************
<div>
<h3><a name="{.}" id="{.}"><xsl:value-of select="." /></a></h3>
<h4>Episodes</h4>
<ul>
<xsl:for-each select="$episodes">
===============================

=== Same File, My Edit to Change $firstEpisode to $episodes ========
<xsl:key name="programsBySeries" match="Program" use="Series" />

<xsl:template match="Program/Series" mode="EpisodeList">
<xsl:variable name="episodes" select="key('programsBySeries', .)" />
<xsl:variable name="firstEpisode" select="$episodes[1]" />
<xsl:if test="generate-id() =
****************************************
generate-id($episodes)">
****************************************
<div>
<h3><a name="{.}" id="{.}"><xsl:value-of select="." /></a></h3>
<h4>Episodes</h4>
<ul>
<xsl:for-each select="$episodes">
===========================

=== FileCompare the Two Outputs ("no diff") ======
C:\XSLT-Beginning\5946\Chapter10>fc XSLOutput_09_firstepisode.html XSLOutput_09_
episodes.html
Comparing files XSLOutput_09_firstepisode.html and XSLOUTPUT_09_EPISODES.HTML
FC: no differences encountered
===================================

"Extra Credit" Example ;^)
Same as Third Example, but One Small Edit:
Tried _Second_ Episode '[2]' vs. First.
(Still No Diff!)
=== TVGuide9.xsl ======
<xsl:key name="programsBySeries" match="Program" use="Series" />

<xsl:template match="Program/Series" mode="EpisodeList">
<xsl:variable name="episodes" select="key('programsBySeries', .)" />
<xsl:variable name="secondEpisode" select="$episodes[2]" />
<xsl:if test="generate-id() =
****************************************
generate-id($secondEpisode)">
****************************************
<div>
<h3><a name="{.}" id="{.}"><xsl:value-of select="." /></a></h3>
<h4>Episodes</h4>
<ul>
<xsl:for-each select="$episodes">
===============================

=== FileCompare the Two Outputs ("no diff") ======
C:\XSLT-Beginning\5946\Chapter10>fc XSLOutput_09_secondepisode.html XSLOutput_09
_episodes.html
Comparing files XSLOutput_09_secondepisode.html and XSLOUTPUT_09_EPISODES.HTML
FC: no differences encountered
===================================</ul>< /div></ul></div></ul></div >

Happy 2nd Birthday, reilly2001.info

That would make this 2003, now wouldn't it.

(Oh, and pretend that's two candles, not five, on the cake.) (Image lifted (and badly doctored!) from W3C page "XML Turns Five," Feb. 10, 2003.)

Below, the exciting news from my domain registrar, GoDaddy.com.

See you again in two years for a similar online celebration!
Wm.

Two years ago this fine date I signed up for my first internet domain name.
Time to re-up.

Order Confirmation #8843119 (Automatic Renewal)
From:
To:

Dear William Reilly

Per our agreement(s), we have automatically renewed the following items:

INFO Domain Name Renewal - 2 Years REILLY2001.INFO 19.50

If you have questions regarding your account or billing for this account, please feel free to contact us:

* Online at: http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/support.asp
* Phone at: 480-505-8877

Sincerely,
GoDaddy.com

Bypass and Aortic Surgery Today on My Mom; She's O.K.!

My mother, Christine Bridgid Sullivan Lima, today underwent a successful but quite lengthy open heart bypass and aortic surgery.

Below is a link to a useful page of information about the facility and the skilled team:

The Open Heart Surgery Team of Cape Cod Hospital
(and the Division of Cardiac Surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School)

I've posted (below) the e-mail I just sent out to family and friends.

Hello again, all - (my e-mail to family and friends)

Ken L. just telephoned after a long day at the hospital (thank, you, Ken!) -- the word is that Mom's operation went well, but was more involved than anticipated.

Seven hours long, as they discovered in the early going that in the process of doing the triple-bypass, they would actually need to replace the aorta, with an artificial pipe, as it would be under too much stress or pressure, in the condition it was in, and required replacement.

Fortunately, the staff at this hospital unit, as you've all heard and know by now, is really among the very best, coming from training and well over 1,000 similar operations at Boston's Brigham & Women's Hospital.

Here are a couple of web pages with more information about the facility and staff. The first link has a depiction of the operating room and pictures and bios of the doctors and nurses.

1) The Open Heart Surgery Team: A Closer Look

2) Cape Cod Healthcare Magazine "Currents" - Cardiac Continuum Update issue (includes page in link # 1 above).

Chris is still "under," and will undoubtedly just rest through the night. Ken's back for a 9:00 A.M. meeting tomorrow with medical staff, and to see Chris. Ken met today with all the senior staff, and as he put it, "These people are very impressive, really, the best!"

Ken also related that he was there, holding Mom's hand, and she looked well, her hand felt warm, and she was doing very well. (We learned that they actually lower the body temperature by some 17 degrees in performing the operation; somehow facilitates the work they do and is the best thing for the procedure. Pretty amazing science and medicine.)

Mom is in the ICU (Intensive Care Unit), and it looks like will be remaining in there (owing mostly to the size of the hospital not having other room to shift her to, or something along these lines). At any rate, the ICU does not permit sending flowers, so, no flowers, please (!) :^)

Cards are welcome. The hospital is at:
Christine Lima (patient)
c/o Cape Cod Hospital
27 Park Street
Hyannis, MA 02601
(508) 771-1800

Hard to say just how long she'll be there, but may well be middle of next week. We'll keep you posted!

Best wishes, all.
Thank you for your good wishes and prayers for Christine.
Love,
William

FAVICON. ('Bout Time You Got Here)

Just figured out (been seeing these guys _quite_ a while now) how to get that tiny "/favicon.ico" into the Location bar.
_Quite_ exciting.
I think (?).

Of course, the 16x16 pixel, 16-colors-only icon I was able to put together is rather "clastic," as it were, a.k.a. presentationally challenged.
(icon-o-clastic, get it? oh oh, v. bad joke/pun).

Resources:

• Favicon.ico Info Page at "The Site Wizard."
  
• Free tool (Windows) From Axiomx.

PHP: O'Reilly Missed The Boat. This Reilly, Too?

This article on the lousy XML "Book Business" mentions a Tim O'Reilly comment vis-a-vis PHP vs. Perl. It's for this Reilly (William) yet another clue as to why a look into PHP may well be in order. Hmmm. Sounds good.
Time to catch a boat (one among several boats).
Wm.

XML.com: The XML Book Business [Oct. 29, 2003]

Hi Martin, (my e-mail to Martin)

Hmmm. Another quote encountered telling me there's something interesting going on with PHP, again, something I'd kind of totally ignored. Hmmmm...
Maybe I oughta pursue that chapter on putting PHP together with MySQL from that book I'd borrowed from the library, after all... (Need to find the time!)

Cheers,
William
P.S. You'll find this e-mail up in my blog :^)

Quote:
"in fact, Tim O'Reilly seemed to admit at a FOO Camp presentation that O'Reilly had missed the PHP boat, something others have been saying too."

"The XML Book Business"
http://www.xml.com/pub/a/2003/10/29/deviant.html

Longer excerpt:
"Indeed, the XML book business is fairly grim across the board, not just for O'Reilly.

That's an important point to think clearly about in my view. After all, O'Reilly as an organization is far from omniscient; ...>> in fact, Tim O'Reilly seemed to admit at a FOO Camp presentation that O'Reilly had missed the PHP boat, something others have been saying too.<<... In that case, of course, it was a tricky thing to see, especially for O'Reilly, which has put a ton of effort behind Perl. It particularly tried to pitch Perl as something other than a language for writing cgi-bin Web applications. That must have made PHP's success as a kind of Perl++ in that particular space hard to see coming. One of the most common ways in which people and organizations err is zigging when a zag would have worked better.

So [anyway] the first point is that everyone's XML book business is in the dumper. ..."