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<h1>Charter - XSL Working Group</h1>
<h3>[June 2004]</h3>


<address> Sharon Adler, IBM, chair<br/><a
href="http://www.w3.org/People/cmsmcq/">C. M. Sperberg-McQueen</a> and
<a>Liam Quin</a>, Team contacts</address>


<div>
<blockquote><p>The <a href="../../../XML/Group/XSL.html"
shape="rect">XSL Working Group</a> is a Working Group of the W3C and
follows the working group process described in the <a
href="/Consortium/Process/">W3C Process Document</a>.
Except as outlined elsewhere in this charter, the Working Group
follows the <a href="xml-common-proc.html">Common
Procedures for XML Working Groups</a>.<!--* , as elaborated in the <a
href="/1999/05/xmlp436.html">XMLActivity Membership and Decision
Process</a> (except as outlined below).*--></p>
<p>This is the charter for this Working Group. It extends and
supersedes the Working Group's <a
href="http://www.w3.org/Style/2000/xsl-charter.html"
shape="rect">previous charter</a>.  [<em>N.B. Text which must be
deleted or modified at the time this charter goes to the Advisory
Committee, or which otherwise needs to be readily findable for
revisions in the meantime (such as dates) is marked by square
brackets.</em>]</p></blockquote>
</div>

<div>
<hr class="html_compat"/>
<ol>
<li><a href="#scope">Scope and Purpose</a></li>
<li><a href="#deliverables">Deliverables and Schedule</a></li>
<li><a href="#relationships">Relationships with Other Activities</a></li>
<li><a href="#membership">Working Group participation</a></li>
<li><a href="#meetings">Meetings</a></li>

<li><a href="#communication">Communications</a></li>
<li><a href="#Confident">Confidentiality</a></li>
<!--*<li><a href="#ip">Intellectual Property</a></li>*-->
<li><a href="#pp">Patent policy</a></li>
</ol>
<hr class="html_compat"/>
</div>

<h2>1. <a name="scope">Scope and Purpose</a></h2>

<h3>Purpose of XSL</h3>

<p>The XSL Working Group is chartered to continue the development of
XSL (extensible stylesheet language), a style sheet and transformation
language for XML and other structured markup languages.</p>

<p>The overall goal of this work is to define a practical style and
transformation language capable of supporting the transformation and
presentation of, and interaction with, structured information (e.g.,
XML documents) for use on servers and clients. The language is
designed to build transformations in support of browsing, printing,
interactive editing, and transcoding of one XML vocabulary into
another XML vocabulary.  To enhance accessibility, XSL is able to
present information both visually and non-visually. XSL is not
intended to replace CSS, but will provide functionality beyond that
defined by CSS, for example, element re-ordering.</p>

<p>XSL is constituted of three main components, a transformation
language known as XSLT, an expression language for addressing parts of
XML documents, known as XPath, and a vocabulary of formatting objects
with their associated formatting properties, known as XSL-FO.</p>

<h3>Scope of the XSL Working Group</h3>

<p>This charter defines the next phase in the continuing development
of XSL. Both XSLT Version 1.0 and XPath Version 1.0 were published as
W3C Recommendations in November 1999. XSL Formatting Objects
became a W3C Recommendation in October 2001.</p>

<p>Under this charter, the XSL Working Group will continue work on XSLT and
XPath 2.0 and work on  a new version XSL Formatting Objects (XSL 1.1).  The goal is to cope with the requirements that are not addressed
yet by the first version.
</p>

<h4>XSLT and XPath</h4>

<p>XSLT 2.0 is a language for transforming XML documents into
other XML documents; it is intended to be used in conjunction with
XPath 2.0.  A transformation expressed in XSLT describes rules for
transforming one or more source trees into one or more result trees.
A transformation is specified through a set of template rules.  The
structure of result trees can be completely different from the
structure of the source trees.  In constructing a result tree, nodes
from the source trees can be filtered and reordered, and arbitrary
structure and content may be added.  This mechanism allows a
stylesheet to be applicable to a wide variety of source trees that
have similar tree structures.</p>

<p>The major requirement for XSLT 2.0 and XPath 2.0 is to provide
schema-awareness, so that simple datatypes and complex types defined
using XML Schema may be visible to processors.  It is also a
requirement for transformations to take place without
schema-awareness.</p>

<p>A series of working drafts of both XPath 2.0 and XSLT 2.0 have
been published, beginning in December 2001.  For XSLT, major
differences from the 1.0 versions are summarized in Appendix K of the
XSLT 2.0 specification. For XPath 2.0, Appendix H provides a summary
of the main areas of incompatibility between XPath 2.0 and XPath 1.0.
</p>

<h4>XSL Formatting Objects</h4>

<p>The XSL Working Group moved the XSL 1.0 specification of formatting objects
to Recommendation on 15 October 2001.
</p><p>
The complex nature of the XSL specification leads to many
questions and comments being posted to the public comment list by
the growing XSL user and implementor community.  The task of reviewing
these comments and maintaining the XSL spec takes a non-trivial effort.
</p><p>
Since becoming a Recommendation, XSL 1.0
has enjoyed wide spread support.  However, the user community has
expressed requirements that have encouraged various implementations
to provide extensions to the language.  These extensions--especially
those implemented by more than one implementation--are clear candidates
for standardization so as to maximize interoperability.
</p>
<p>
For the period of this new charter, the XSL Working Group will continue to
maintain the XSL Recommendation.  The Working Group will also survey and
analyze various extant extensions, user requirements, and features
intentionally cut from XSL 1.0 due to lack of time.  Using the
results of this research, the Working Group will develop an XSL 1.1 version
that incorporates current errata and includes a subset of
relatively simple and upward compatible additions to XSL.
<!--* of the above determined additions. *-->
</p>

<p>Where the functionality of CSS and XSL overlap, the style
information shall be exportable in both XSL and CSS.</p>


<h2>2. <a name="deliverables">Deliverables and Schedule</a> </h2>
<h3>Deliverables</h3>

<p>The primary deliverables of the XSL Working Group under this
charter are:</p>
<ol>
  <li>Recommendation for XSLT 2.0</li>
  <li>Working jointly with the XML Query Working Group, recommendations for (a) XPath 2.0, (b) XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Data Model, (c) XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Formal Semantics, (d) XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Functions and Operators, and (e) XSLT 2.0 and XQuery 1.0 Serialization.  </li>
  <li>A requirements document for version 1.1 of XSL formatting objects.</li>
  <li>Recommendation for version 1.1 of XSL formatting objects.</li>
  <li>Publication of any errata for XSLT 1.0 and XSL/FO 1.0</li>
  <li>A Web page, with minutes of each
  teleconference and face-to-face meeting.</li>
</ol>

<p>The public release of each technical document has to be approved by
the working group. Minutes are published under the Chair's
responsibility.</p>


<h3>Schedule</h3>

<p>This expected duration of this charter period runs through [June 2006].</p>

<p>During this charter period, the following documents will be
published by the XSL Working Group.  Some of these are expected to become W3C
Recommendations; the requirements documents (listed below) will
not.</p>

<ul>
  <li>Last Call Working Draft of XSLT 2.0
(estimated date: [November 2004])</li>
  <li>Last Call Working Draft of XPath 2.0 (jointly with XQuery Working Group)
(estimated date: [November 2004])</li>
  <li>Candidate Recommendation of XSLT 2.0
(estimated date: [March 2005])</li>
  <li>Candidate Recommendation of XPath 2.0 (jointly with XQuery Working Group)
(estimated date: [March 2005])</li>
  <li>Proposed Recommendation for XSLT 2.0
(estimated date: [October 2005])</li>
  <li>Proposed Recommendation of XPath 2.0 (jointly with XQuery Working Group)
(estimated date: [October 2005])</li>
  <li>Recommendation for XSLT Version 2.0
(estimated date: [December 2005])</li>
  <li>Recommendation for XPath Version 2.0 (jointly with XQuery Working Group)
(estimated date: [December 2005])</li>
  <li>Last Call Working Drafts, Candidate Recommendations, Proposed Recommendations,
and Recommendations for
XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Data Model,
XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Formal Semantics,
XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Functions and Operators, and
XSLT 2.0 and XQuery 1.0 Serialization
(estimated dates:  see dates for XSLT 2.0 / XPath 2.0
above).</li>

<li>First Working Draft of XSL 1.1
(published: 17 December 2003)</li>
<li>Last Call Working Draft of XSL 1.1
(estimated date: [June 2004])</li>
<li>Candidate Recommendation for XSL Version 1.1
(estimated date: [August 2004])</li>
<li>Proposed Recommendation for XSL Version 1.1
(estimated date: [November 2004])</li>
<li>Recommendation for XSL Version 1.1
(estimated date: [January 2005])</li>

</ul>
<p>The following documents are not expected to become W3C Recommendations:</p>
<ul>
  <li>Requirements documents for XSL Version 1.1</li>
  <li>Requirements documents for XSLT/XPath Version
  2.0 (jointly with XQuery Working Group)</li>
</ul>


<h2>3. <a name="relationships">Relationship with Other Activities</a></h2>
<p>When approved by the XML Coordination Group, liaison with other W3C Working Groups can be accomplished through joint task forces. It is expected that this be required for liaison with at least the XML Schema, XML Query, and Internationalization Working Groups.</p>

<h4>CSS Working Group</h4>

<p>Liaison with the CSS group in the areas of Web stylesheet
requirements is necessary in order to ensure that the market develops
in a planned and unified fashion. </p>

<h4>WAI Working Group</h4>

<p>The XSL Working Group will cooperate with the Web Accessibility Initiative
(WAI) to ensure XSL meets W3C accessibility goals. The WAI Working Group will
provide expertise for work in this area and will review the
specifications produced by the XSL Working Group.</p>

<h4>I18N Working Group</h4>

<p> Support
for non-Western languages will  continue to
use the expertise of the I18N Working Group. In addition, the I18N Working Group will
be solicited to comment on the new features added to XSLT, and check
that they can be used to transform documents written in any
language.</p>

<h4>XML Query Working Group</h4>

<p>The XPath 1.0 expression language <!--* is part of the XSL 1.0
specification and *--> was developed by the XSL Working Group in cooperation with
the XML Linking Working Group.  It has been an input to the development of XPath
2.0, which is being developed by the XSL and XML Query Working Groups in
collaboration and will cover the functionality common to XQuery and
XSLT.
</p>


<h4>XML Schema Working Group</h4>

<p>It is a goal of work on XSLT 2.0 that it be compatible with the
work of the XML Schema Working group on XML Schema Part 2: Datatypes
(XML Schema Part 2) and XML Schema Part 1: Structures (XML Schema Part
1).  For example, it should be possible for XPath expressions to
exploit knowledge of XML Schema definitions of the content of an
XML document and of the datatypes defined as part of XML Schema.

</p>

<h4>XForms Working Group</h4>

<p>This Working Group produced a specification for extended forms (XForms). The XSL
Working Group will have to consider how to handle these elements in combination
with the XSL formatting objects. Cooperation with the XForms Working Group will be
needed for that purpose, as well as consultation regarding their use of
XPath.</p>


<!--<h4>Coordination Groups</h4>

<p>The XSL WG participates in both the Hypertext CG and the XML
CG. The XSL WG is represented in these CGs by its Chair or by a WG
member appointed by the Chair.</p> -->

<h3><a name="liaison">Liaison with groups outside the W3C</a></h3>

<p>The XSL Working Group is responsible for maintaining active communication with
national and international standards bodies and industry consortia
whose scope of work intersects its own.  This specifically includes,
but is not limited to, OASIS and IETF.</p>

<h4>Media type registration</h4>

<p>The XSL Working Group will work with other W3C Working Groups to determine the
appropriate media type registration for XSL.</p>

<h2>4. <a name="membership">Working Group participation</a></h2>

<p>The level of participation required for all participants in the XSL
Working Group is 15-30% of their working time, including participation in regular
phone conferences and face-to-face meetings.</p>

<p>Expertise in computer language design, web-based applications, XML,
<span class="Spell">XPath</span>/XSLT is optimal for participation in
the development of XSLT. Expertise in composition, typography, computer
display rendering and computer language design is recommended for
participation in XSL formatting objects.</p>

<!--
<p>The expertise of prospective WG participants shall be determined by
the WG Chair.  Alternates (defined below) must meet the same level of
expertise required of principals.</p>
-->
<!--* <p>Every participant must disclose all the IPR claims relevant
to the XSL WG according to the <a
href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Process/#ipr">W3C's IPR Policy.</a>
</p> *-->

<h3><a name="chair">Chair</a></h3>

<p>The initial Chair of the XSL Working Group is Sharon Adler (IBM).</p>

<!--*
<h3>Principal members</h3>

<p>Principal members of the WG may be representatives of the W3C
Team, W3C member organizations or invited experts.</p>

<h3>Alternate members</h3>

<p>For each principal WG member who represents the W3C or a W3C member
organization, there may be other persons representing that
organization (called alternate members) who are allowed to substitute
for that organization's principal representative when the principal is
temporarily unable to attend a WG conference.  Attendance by an
alternate discharges the principal's attendance obligations. Alternate
members may also participate in the WG mail list, and in the
teleconferences, and they are entitled to attend face-to-face
meetings, but they may not vote in those meetings except when standing
in for their principal.  Except for attendance requirements, alternate
representatives must meet the same criteria as principal
representatives and are formally approved by the same process.</p>
*-->

<h3><a name="team">W3C Team Resources</a></h3>

<p>
The initial W3C Team contacts for this Working Group are C. M. Sperberg-McQueen
and Liam Quin. The total amount of resources is expected to be 0.6
FTE.
</p>


<h2>5. <a name="meetings">Meetings</a></h2>

<p>Working Group phone conferences are held every week. When necessary to meet
agreed-upon deadlines, additional phone conferences may be
held. Separate phone conferences are held every other week for
participants working on XSL formatting objects.</p>

<p>Face-to-face meetings are three- to four-day sessions held
approximately six times per year.  To maximize liaison between the
Working Group and relevant standards bodies and vendor organizations,
scheduled face-to-face meetings may be held in conjunction with major
industry events and standards meetings. All face-to-face meetings are
announced on the XSL Working Group page as well as on the XML CG and
Member calendars.</p>

<h2>6. <a name="communication">Communications</a></h2>

<p>XSL Working Group participants communicate via an <a
href="http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/w3c-xsl-wg/">archived</a>
mailing list, <a href="mailto:w3c-xsl-wg&#64;w3.org">w3c-xsl-wg</a>,
visible to all W3C Members. During their development, all working
documents must be visible to the W3C membership. In addition, there is a
separate mailing list, <a
href="mailto:w3c-xsl-fo-sg&#64;w3.org">w3c-xsl-fo-sg</a> (<a
href="http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Member/w3c-xsl-fo-sg/">archived</a>), for discussion on XSL formatting objects; this list is
Member-confidential.
</p>

<h2>7. <a name="Confident">Confidentiality</a></h2>

<p>The proceedings of this Working Group are Member-confidential,
subject to exceptions made by the Chair with the Working Group's
agreement.
</p>

<p>
In support of public accountability, the Working Group will
periodically make public a summary of all technical decisions made since
the last public summary, and the rationales for these decisions.
</p>

<h2>8. <a name="pp">Patent policy</a></h2>

<p>This Working Group operates under the <a
href="http://www.w3.org/Consortium/Patent-Policy-20040205/">W3C Patent
Policy</a> (5 February 2004 Version). To promote the widest adoption of
Web standards, W3C seeks to issue Recommendations that can be
implemented, according to this policy, on a Royalty-Free basis.</p>

<!--<h2><a name="ip">Intellectual Property</a></h2>

<p>W3C promotes an open working environment. Whenever possible, technical
decisions should be made unencumbered by intellectual property right (IPR)
claims.</p>

<p>This is a Royalty Free Working Group, as described in W3C's <a
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/NOTE-patent-practice-20020124"> Current Patent
Practice</a>, dated 24 January 2002.</p>

<p>Working Group participants disclose patent claims by sending email to
&lt;<a href="mailto:patent-issues&#64;w3.org">patent-issues@w3.org</a>&gt;;
please see <a
href="http://www.w3.org/TR/2002/NOTE-patent-practice-20020124">Current Patent
Practice</a> for more information about disclosures.</p>-->

<!--<hr>
<address>
<a href="mailto:ht&#64;w3.org">Henry Thompson</a>, W3C Team contact<br>
  <small>Last modified: $Date: 2004/06/28 20:34:46 $</small>
</address>-->

<hr />
<address>Sharon Adler, Chair<br />
Michael Sperberg-McQueen and Liam Quin, Team Contacts</address>
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