07 CGenericXSLT

CGenericXSLT or Simple XMLtransformation

Simple XML transformations convert XML documents into channel content. The documents are obtained via URL specified as channel definition.

Downsides of selecting this approach

• Training staff to decipher and/or render results in XML can be a lengthy and costly undertaking.
• Any application which does not currently render XML will require modification.
• Applications must also accept and process HTTP requests.

XML SSL howto

Purpose:

To demonstrate how to use the CGenericXSLT Channel.

Introduction and description:

The CGenericXSLT channel is simple to use. It takes an xml document and a stylesheet list as parameters. Then a request to render is received, it takes the xml document and does a xsl transform on it. The specific transform is determined by the SSL and the browser used to request it.
Example of channel definition:

<channel minimized="false" class="org.jasig.portal.xmlchannels.CGenericXSLT">
   <parameter value="Welcome to UBC" name="name"/>
   <parameter value="http://localhost/portal/welcome.xml" name="xml"/>
   <parameter value="webpages/ubc/stylesheets/channels/welcome.ssl" name="ssl"/>
</channel>

Example shipping with uPortal

The CSSViewer channel shipping with uPortal is an XML SSL channel.

Channel description notes:

The xml and ssl values can either be a fully qualified URL, or a relative file name. The file name is relative to the root directory of the portal. Not the root directory of the web pages. Also, use a relative file name wherever possible since this is faster then a URL. Example of SSL (StyleSheetList):

 
   <?xml version="1.0"?>
   <?xml-stylesheet href="/stylesheets/regular.xsl"  type="text/xsl" media="netscape"?>
   <?xml-stylesheet href="http://localhost:8080/portal/stylesheets/wml.xsl"  type="text/xsl" media="WAP"?>
   
   <document>
   </document>

SSL Notes:

The href can either be a relative file name (faster) or a fully qualified URL. Note that a URL MUST use the full name with the 'http://'.
.

XML XSLT howto

Another channel type allows you to skip using a .ssl file. This is useful in cases where you aren't going to provide any more than one .xsl file and so using the .ssl file XSLT switching mechanism is pointless.

Here's an example that worked recently: