On Tue, 19 Aug 2003, Geoff Howard wrote:
Jeff Sexton wrote:
We'd like to built an application that uses data from a database to create XML, which can be transformed to various forms. A significant amount of coding will be required to create the XML (otherwise I'd just place SQL in an xsp), so I think a separate servlet will make more sense. My thought is to create a servlet that outputs type text/xml, call the servlet from a sitemap, transform and serialize as needed.
I don't quite get why you came to the conclusion that a servlet is better for serious coding than the Cocoon environment. IMHO you should back up and reconsider that.
Ok, I will. And I'll take a look at your tutorial.
There are two reasons that I lean toward a servlet (but I don't feel real sure about it, which is why I posted the question). One is that in several of the cases we have to build there will be a fair amount of business logic actually coded out. Others are simpler - just dump the data from the database. But some are going to need plain ol'programming. These will be replacing some moderatly complicated C++ programs that contain calculations and a lot of condition logic that is not reflected in the data source.
The other reason it that if it's all coded in a servlet (or other stand alone chunk of java), then it could potentially have a life outside of cocoon. Don't get me wrong, I love Cocoon and plan to use it, but by not commiting the XML data source to a cocoon world we might gain some handy flexibility, and allow any old java programmer to work on it with learning a thing about Cocoon. Or allowing the code to run in an agent or grid environment, as a web service, or as a setand-alone application.
Again I don't feel really strongly about either of these reasons, and nothing is cast in stone yet.
Gotcha. Ok, then my advice stands: I'd suggest writing some supporting classes which contain most of your heavy lifting, and call those from a Generator which handles the mandatory Cocoon-specific methods. Cocoon generators are very simple if you already know java and SAX, especially if you have the critical logic factored out into your supporting classes.
Geoff
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