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What free tools can be used to create XSLT files?
Posted on 2011-03-08
Hi
Some of the reports we obtain from our systems are output in XML format. I tried hand coding in gedit (like notepad) and found it really difficult, to do things with some simple stuff based on what I have Googled.
Can someone tell me of a few free or open source tools that they can recommended to create the XSLT files so that I can make nice reports from these raw XML files? Are there ones that let you work with the XML data file itself then model the report layout you would like?
I don't need anything fancy, as these reports are for in house use only and the reports are only needed infrequently, so the easier to use the better.
Would like to run these on linux if possible.
If such free tools aren't available, I'll consider buying a low end one, so please recommend one of these. In fact if the purchased one is worth it, I'll probably buy it anyway.
If my question is too hard, maybe I just need a good simple to use reference book for basic to intermediate level.
Thanks
Some of the reports we obtain from our systems are output in XML format. I tried hand coding in gedit (like notepad) and found it really difficult, to do things with some simple stuff based on what I have Googled.
Can someone tell me of a few free or open source tools that they can recommended to create the XSLT files so that I can make nice reports from these raw XML files? Are there ones that let you work with the XML data file itself then model the report layout you would like?
I don't need anything fancy, as these reports are for in house use only and the reports are only needed infrequently, so the easier to use the better.
Would like to run these on linux if possible.
If such free tools aren't available, I'll consider buying a low end one, so please recommend one of these. In fact if the purchased one is worth it, I'll probably buy it anyway.
If my question is too hard, maybe I just need a good simple to use reference book for basic to intermediate level.
Thanks
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23 Comments
Active 1 day ago
Not too expensive but really really good (and you can test it for a month)
www.oxygenxml.com
The kernow project is something really worth looking at, it is some sort of developer around saxon
http://kernowforsaxon.sourceforge.net/
But I don't know how well it is maintained currently
I haven't tried this one yet, but it seems worth the test
http://free.editix.com/features.html#XSLT_Editor
this one is a very good learning book
http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/databases/xml/0596000537
the latest edition also covers XSLT2
http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780596527211
www.oxygenxml.com
The kernow project is something really worth looking at, it is some sort of developer around saxon
http://kernowforsaxon.sourceforge.net/
But I don't know how well it is maintained currently
I haven't tried this one yet, but it seems worth the test
http://free.editix.com/features.html#XSLT_Editor
this one is a very good learning book
http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/databases/xml/0596000537
the latest edition also covers XSLT2
http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780596527211
Active 1 day ago
@zulumike,
I never tried editix, did you? How do you like it? What can you do with it?
I never tried editix, did you? How do you like it? What can you do with it?
Active 1 day ago
Ah OK, so I 'll have to check myself then
far collegue being google by accident :-) ?
I see you are new to Experts Exchange.
Just a friendly note: people asking questions here expect more than the first google hit without further explanation
far collegue being google by accident :-) ?
I see you are new to Experts Exchange.
Just a friendly note: people asking questions here expect more than the first google hit without further explanation
Thanks for friendly notes Gertone :-)
I have noe experience in xslt, so cannot give any explanation, just a tip you can try out.
I have noe experience in xslt, so cannot give any explanation, just a tip you can try out.
Thanks so far...
http://free.editix.com/download.html looks worthy of consideration, but www.oxygenxml.com is a bit expensive for me at $199 for the XML Author Pro. It looks like good software, but more for pro developers I think.
Anyone else care to chip in with another one or two tools they've had experience with that would do the job?
http://free.editix.com/download.html looks worthy of consideration, but www.oxygenxml.com is a bit expensive for me at $199 for the XML Author Pro. It looks like good software, but more for pro developers I think.
Anyone else care to chip in with another one or two tools they've had experience with that would do the job?
Active 1 day ago
well, cladonia has something similar
http://www.freexmleditor.com/
http://www.freexmleditor.com/
Active 1 day ago
and maybe you have eclipse or inteliJ installed
intelliJ pluging
http://plugins.intellij.net/plugin/?id=1818
eclipse project
http://wiki.eclipse.org/XSLT_Project
intelliJ pluging
http://plugins.intellij.net/plugin/?id=1818
eclipse project
http://wiki.eclipse.org/XSLT_Project
I've used Notepad along with Michael Kay's excellent book, XSLT, ISBN 1-861005-06-7 from Wrox Press.
Active 1 day ago
badotz is referring to this book
http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/XSLT-2-0-and-XPath-2-0-Programmer-s-Reference-4th-Edition.productCd-0764569090.html
or one of its earlier editions
(I have them all, and they are all worn out)
but a little warning is in place.. it is an extremely good reference, that you should have on your table, but is not very suitable as a learning tool
notepad for XSLT... cool if you can do that,
do you mean XML Notepad? Does it help in debugging, or do you just use it as a text editor combined with command line execution?
http://www.wrox.com/WileyCDA/WroxTitle/XSLT-2-0-and-XPath-2-0-Programmer-s-Reference-4th-Edition.productCd-0764569090.html
or one of its earlier editions
(I have them all, and they are all worn out)
but a little warning is in place.. it is an extremely good reference, that you should have on your table, but is not very suitable as a learning tool
notepad for XSLT... cool if you can do that,
do you mean XML Notepad? Does it help in debugging, or do you just use it as a text editor combined with command line execution?
>>XML Notepad?
Nope.
If you cannot fathom Michael's book, I question your intent to learn XSLT. If it were easy, everyone would do it ;-)
Nope.
If you cannot fathom Michael's book, I question your intent to learn XSLT. If it were easy, everyone would do it ;-)
Wow this looks more complicated than I thought, and I am not sure exactly how to evaluate the two programs that have been recommended:
http://free.editix.com/download.html
http://www.freexmleditor.com/
I downloaded and ran both of them, but that's where I stalled.
I don't mind spending a hours learning about one of them, but I am not sure which would be best for me to concentrate on and I don't want to spend hours trying to learn and evaluate both just to decide this.
Can anyone, hopefully from experience, recommend one or the other that would best fullfill my needs, which are to use a XML data file as a starting point and then model a XSLT doc from it to create nice reports. A sample XML data file is attached if it helps.
trustee-apps.xml
http://free.editix.com/download.html
http://www.freexmleditor.com/
I downloaded and ran both of them, but that's where I stalled.
I don't mind spending a hours learning about one of them, but I am not sure which would be best for me to concentrate on and I don't want to spend hours trying to learn and evaluate both just to decide this.
Can anyone, hopefully from experience, recommend one or the other that would best fullfill my needs, which are to use a XML data file as a starting point and then model a XSLT doc from it to create nice reports. A sample XML data file is attached if it helps.
trustee-apps.xml
I am personally using Microsoft Visual studio to write and test XSLT.
If you already have MS visual studio you can use the same.
If you already have MS visual studio you can use the same.
Ah, then I would use vi for the editing. Not sure what to use for testing.
Linux?Is this a production system? I'm just curious, not being judgemental ;-)
Linux?Is this a production system? I'm just curious, not being judgemental ;-)
Active 1 day ago
Microsoft visual studio is not free (my copy is more expensive than my Oxygen IDE)
I have just tested the free editix, I am not impressed, but it allows editing (context helped editing even)
The free version does not do XSLT debugging,
but it does give appropriate error messages.
I am not impressed but it is free and I think you can do what you need (and can expect from a free IDE)
I suggest you go with that one
I could not test the exchanger one (the second) since it fails to create a java vm
I don't trust tools that fail to do a proper installation :-)
So go with this one
http://free.editix.com/download.html
is my suggestion
I have just tested the free editix, I am not impressed, but it allows editing (context helped editing even)
The free version does not do XSLT debugging,
but it does give appropriate error messages.
I am not impressed but it is free and I think you can do what you need (and can expect from a free IDE)
I suggest you go with that one
I could not test the exchanger one (the second) since it fails to create a java vm
I don't trust tools that fail to do a proper installation :-)
So go with this one
http://free.editix.com/download.html
is my suggestion
VI? :-D - self torture not applicable! Gedit does the job nicely.
This is nothing but the best for production - file, print, web server, ftp, samba, (or domain services for pc's), application dev, web based management - all running on Suse Linux Enterprise Server, as used by the London Stock Exchange. Secure. Fast. Customisable.
Check out Novell's Open Enterprise Server - http://www.novell.com/products/openenterpriseserver/
I support Windows at legacy sites, but won't implement it while linux is such a viable alternative.
But we digress...
This is nothing but the best for production - file, print, web server, ftp, samba, (or domain services for pc's), application dev, web based management - all running on Suse Linux Enterprise Server, as used by the London Stock Exchange. Secure. Fast. Customisable.
Check out Novell's Open Enterprise Server - http://www.novell.com/products/openenterpriseserver/
I support Windows at legacy sites, but won't implement it while linux is such a viable alternative.
But we digress...
Hi,
you can use
VISUAL WEB DEVELOPER 2010 EXPRESS
http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/visual-web-developer-express
It's free with a great intellisense for writing xsl tags.
you can use
VISUAL WEB DEVELOPER 2010 EXPRESS
http://www.microsoft.com/visualstudio/en-us/products/2010-editions/visual-web-developer-express
It's free with a great intellisense for writing xsl tags.
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