Joe asks 'Is it me or what?'

XSLT 2.0 arrives

XSLT 2.0 finally made it as a W3C Recommendation today.

Version 2.0 adds a slew of new features including better grouping facilities, improved string handling, date time functionality, multiple result documents and the ability to consume non-XML source documents.

The next piece of good news would be for Microsoft to announce its support for the standard. Currently, as far as I know, the only .NET option if you wish to use version 2.0 is Michael Kay's Saxon.

Congratulations to Dr. Kay, editor of the specification, and to everyone else who contributed to this mammoth task.

Developer Day

For those of you who can get to Reading on 3rd February there is a great Developer Day going on. I have been to a number of Developer Days in the past, although this one is different in that it concentrates on web design and development, and they have all been fantastic. The speakers, who are all volunteers, are first rate and the topics are listed here.

Another bonus is that you get to see Microsoft's UK headquarters...

One of the event organisers, Phil Winstanley, is a fellow MVP.

Unfortunately I'm unable to go to this one but if any one reading this does go please let me know what you thought.

The name's Bond...

I saw the new Bond file, Casino Royale, just before Christmas.

I thought that it was the best Bond ever and that Daniel Craig is even better than Sean Connery.

What I really liked was that it was almost identical to the original book, updated of course, the original card game battle was Baccarat not Texas Hold 'Em and Le Chiffre had originally swindled a French Communist union which needed a more modern scenario. In keeping with the books though Bond is a human being, not a super-hero, and shows a number of flaws. They even got the way to make a Vesper correct (allowing for a small brand change).

It was also one of the most violent Bond films, I can't believe that it's a 12A in England. (That's twelve years old or accompagnied by an adult if under twelve.) People are immune to shootings etc. but the torture scene was very realistic, you could feel all the men in the audience wince.

Without spoiling it one of my favourite scenes was when Bond asks for one of his famous Martinis after a bad session at the table, you'll have to watch the film for that one.

Another good thing was that I watched it at one of my local Cinemas, The Picturehouse in Exeter.

We have three cinemas in walking distance from us with about 15 screens altogether but amazingly they often all show the same film. The Picturehouse is really nice. Very comfortable and it has a bar. Because you get a pre-alloacted seat when you book it's easy to get there a little early and have a drink beforehand, not possible with the local Odeon as with no seat numbering I have to queue for at least thirty minutes to make sure I get a seat that can cope with my elongated frame - Odeon managers please take note!

Now that they have exhausted all the Bond books I wonder what the next Daniel Craig Bond will be called? Some have hinted that it will be based on Risico, a short story, but that won't have the same impact for me as seeing one of the books come to life. I suppose it's better than a remake though.

Now back to the real world of software development...

Happy New Year

They got me

I'd seen other people get caught in the five things tagging meme. Now bloggers are getting desperate so I've been hit. For those of you unfamiliar with it you need to write five facts about yourself and ask five others to do the same on their sites.

I got tagged by Nicholas C. Zakas so I'm not going to break the chain.

My five facts are:

• I have played Bridge for England.
• I was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, now South Humberside.
• I enjoy eating alone in restaurants.
• I enjoy going to the ballet.
• My brother Stephen is a parish priest.

I'm now going to target the following, four of whom I know have sites or blogs:

• Lorna Williamson, my Microsoft MVP lead
• Eric van der Vlist, a co-author on a couple of books
• Danny Ayers, another author
• Richard York, amongst other things a Wrox author and forum moderator
• David Moysen, an old boss of mine. The only one I've ever had who was more techy than me

Of course like all pyramid schemes the tagging meme will dry up eventually but for once it's fun and there's no underhand motivation.