Two XSL Files to Produce All the HTML Pages
One XSL file produces the HTML for the home page and all the top-level pages; another XSL file produces the HTML for all the second-level pages. That's true now for the approximately 20 HTML pages on the site, and it will remain true if that grows to 100 or 1,000 HTML pages.
XSL File 1 — Home and Top-Level Pages
This stylesheet handles the home page and all first-level section pages (Getting Started, Environment, Tools, etc.). It produces:
• The site banner with logo and graphics
• The full navigation bar with all section links
• The two-column block layout used on the home page
• The section listing layout used on top-level pages
• The footer with copyright and award information
Every top-level page on the site — no matter how many exist — is rendered by this single stylesheet. Adding a new top-level section requires only a new XML file and a reference in the navigation XML; no stylesheet changes are needed.
XSL File 2 — Second-Level Pages
This stylesheet handles all second-level content pages (the Modest, Moderate, and Elaborate sub-pages within each section, for example). It produces:
• The same banner and navigation as top-level pages (ensuring visual consistency)
• A breadcrumb trail showing the current location in the site hierarchy
• The detailed content layout with headings, body text, images, and download links
• Consistent footer
Because all second-level pages share this one stylesheet, a single design change — such as adjusting the content area width or typography — propagates across every second-level page simultaneously.
Why This Scales
A traditional HTML site with 100 pages requires updating 100 files for a layout change. This XML architecture requires updating exactly 2 files — regardless of whether the site has 20 pages or 1,000.
The content (in XML files) and the presentation (in XSL files) are completely independent. Authors update XML; designers update XSL; neither needs to touch the other's domain.
Download Full Source to See the XSL Files