The curious case of the code https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/12/29-code

The behavior of some versions of some browsers on some platforms changed in the last week or so. But when I dug in, it just got weird.

Sneak peek https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/12/15-exproc

I’ve put up a preview of what I’m thinking about for a rebooted exproc.org website.

More accurate locations https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/12/08-locations

When it all goes wrong, can I tell you where?

DocBook xslTNG-gradle https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/12/01-xsltng-gradle

Introducing a Gradle plugin for transforming DocBook documents with the xslTNG stylesheets.

Anti-something for sure https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/12/01-antigravity

There’s a post going around about how “Google Antigravity” did a thing. I have some thoughts.

iXML Symposium reminder https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/11/24-symposium

The call for presentations for the first international symposium on Invisible XML is still open…but it won’t be for long!

What about 3 to 6 occurrences? https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/11/17-repetitions

A proposal to simplify Invisible XML grammars that match a range of occurrences.

A compact syntax for XProc? https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/11/10-xproc.txt

Further explorations in my long, possibly fruitless search for a compact syntax for XProc pipelines.

DocBook updates https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/11/09-docbook

Updates to the DocBook xslTNG Stylesheets and my XProc-for-DocBook repository.

xproc (for DocBook) https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/11/03-xproc-for-docbook

Making it much easier to format DocBook documents.

Incomplete grammars https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/10/28-incomplete

Do incomplete grammars have a place in a world of modular Invisible XML?

First international symposium on iXML https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/10/20-symposium

Announcing the First International Symposium on Invisible XML, a free and online event. The call for presentations is open now!

Modularity in iXML https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/10/20-modularity

What does it mean for an iXML grammar to be modular? From a purely practical perspective, it means you can reuse rules defined in other grammars. But how does it work?

SVG? https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/10/19-svg

I can haz SVG? I can!

Modular iXML grammars https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/10/13-modularixml

Modularity is an iXML feature that’s still very much in the experimental stage. My first attempt is available in NineML version 3.3.2.

Improved XMLn’t https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/10/06-xmlnt

XMLn’ter? I decided I could support marked sections identified with entity references.

Markup Standards https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/09/29-standards

Introducing a curated, crowd-sourced (that’s you) list of markup-related standards.

Org to XML (redux) https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/09/02-org-to-xml

I still want XML out. I still always want XML out.

You can’t parse XML DTDs https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/09/01-xml-dtd

Another surprising (to me) observation about the XML grammar for XML.

The XML grammar is ambiguous https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/08/31-ambiguous

The grammar for XML grammars is infinitely ambiguous. That came as a surprise to me.

XMLn’t https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/08/31-xmlnt

Could :: Couldn’t. Should :: Shouldn’t. Would :: Wouldn’t. XML :: XMLn’t.

That happened https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/08/28-that-happened

Thoughts from the Husband of an Uncivil Woman.

SInclude 5.5.0 https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/08/08-sinclude

I’ve migrated and updated my “Saxon XInclude” processor.

Updating dependencies https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/08/02-dependencies

I didn’t intend to spend all morning fussing with dependencies, but at least I got a weblog posting out of it. And maybe I’ve tossed some stones off the path for next time.

Balisage calendar https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/07/29-balisage-calendar

The annual markup geekfest that is Balisage is happening next week! I’ve published the schedule in an .ics file again this year.

XProc tips and tricks https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/07/21-xproc

Maybe it’s time to start collecting “tips and tricks” for XProc pipelines? Perhaps I should revamp exproc.org? Tip: how can I make an empty sequence into an empty document?

Migration follow-up https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/06/01-codeberg

In the end, I did automate it.

Releasing on Maven Central https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/06/01-maven

That’s a trip and a half in early June, 2025.

Migrating (some things) to Codeberg https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/05/26-codeberg

It’s the switching costs that get you.

Build tools https://so.nwalsh.com/2025/05/25-buildtools

It would be difficult to develop and release a complex piece of software without a build tool. At the same time, a build tool is a complex piece of software that is very frustrating when it gets in the way.