The XSL is defined as the Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL). This is the style language of XML. In the XML tags we donot have any predefined sematics; XSL used t describe how the elements are presented. XSL specification is divided in two separate parts. The actual XSL specification defines a vocabulary of formatting objects that have the necessary base Semantics. The conversion of XML to the presentation structure is done by XML/XSL processor. It takes an XML document and constructs the source tree from the document. Using the SXL style sheet, it constructs a separate tree, the result tree which is composed of formatting elements. The result tree doesnot have tope composed of formatting objects introduced in XSL specification but it can consist of any XML elements. The basic building block of XSL transformations is the template rule, specified with template element describing how the original XML element node is converted into the element node that can be formatted, styled and displayed. An XSL formatting object represents a particular kind of formatting information, which is applied to the content of the formatting object. The formatting vocabulary is built on the basis of Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL). Over 90% of the XSL formatting properties are defined in CSS. However, XSL extends CSS, e.g. to allow pagination and frame based structure. The extenstion are done by adding new values to CSS properties by splitting CSS properties into several new properties or by creating completely new properties.
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