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Xee: A Modern XPath and XSLT Engine in Rust

blog.startifact.com

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Re: Xee: A Modern XPath and XSLT Engine in Rust

#2
The fact it could be compiled in WASM is a good thing, given the Chrome team was considering removing libxml and XSLT support a few years back. The reasons cited were mostly about security (and share of users).

It's another proof that working on fundamental tools is a good thing.

Re: Xee: A Modern XPath and XSLT Engine in Rust

#5
Great to see that somebody else creates a true open source XSLT 3 and XPATH 3 implementation!

I worked on projects which refused to use anything more modern than XSLT & XPATH 1.0 because of lack of support in the non Java/Net World (1.0 = tech from 1999). Kudos to Saxon though, it was and is great but I wished there were more implementations of XSLT 2.0 & XPATH 2.0 and beyond in the open source World... both are so much more fun and easier to use in 2.0+ versions. For that reason I've never touched XSLT 3.0 (because I stuck to Saxon B 9.1 from 2009). I have no doubt it's a great spec but there should be other ways than only Saxon HE to run it in an open source way.

It's like we have an amazing modern spec but only one browser engine to run it ;)

Re: Xee: A Modern XPath and XSLT Engine in Rust

#6

The fact it could be compiled in WASM is a good thing, given the Chrome team was considering removing libxml and XSLT support a few years back. The reasons cited were mostly about security (and share of users). It's another proof that working on fundamental tools is a good thing.

not WASM but there is also https://www.npmjs.com/package/saxon-js

Re: Xee: A Modern XPath and XSLT Engine in Rust

#10
It's interesting to see the slow rehabilitation of XML and its tooling now that there's a new generation of developers who have not grown up in the shadow of XML's prime in the late 90s / early 2000s, and who have not heard (or did not buy into) the anti-XML crowd's ranting --- even though some of their criticisms were legitimate.

I've always liked XML, and especially XPath, and even though there were a large number of missteps in the heyday of XML, I feel it has always been unfairly maligned. Look at all the people who reinvent XML tooling but for JSON, but not nearly as well. Luckily, people who value XML can still use it, provided the fit is right. But it's nice to see the tides turning.

Most fashions really are cyclical.

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