DOCBOOK-APPS: XT deprecated

[Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>]

XT, for all its speed, is a pain to support. It does not implement
XSLT keys() and lacks a few important builtin functions (like
function-available). I have personally continued to support it
principally because the Arbortext entity resolver classes didn't
support any other processor "out of the box". (I'm aware that others
have demonstrated that the classes could be adapted for other
processors and I am indebted to them for their efforts.)

The release of the Sun resolver classes brings entity (and URI)
resolver support to Saxon and Xalan (and to any other Java processor
that supports the runtime selection of either the resolver(s) or the
parser(s) to use) "out of the box". And probably to any other java
processor, with some small amount of effort.

I am sorely tempted, therefore, to begin arguing for a simplification
of the stylesheet code base and a policy of not supporting XT. (I am
no longer the sole maintainer of the stylesheets so it isn't an
absolute certainty that my arguments will prevail.)

If you have a strong opinion on this issue, please let me know.

                                        Be seeing you,
                                          norm

-- 
Norman Walsh <ndw@nwalsh.com>      | Never contend with a man who has
http://www.oasis-open.org/docbook/ | nothing to lose.--Graci\'an
Chair, DocBook Technical Committee |