Microsoft KB Archive/823828

= PRB: Limitation of XML Mimeviewer Causes Unexpected Behavior When You Transform XML Data by Using Internet Explorer =

Article ID: 823828

Article Last Modified on 7/29/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft XML Parser 2.5, when used with:
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming)
 * Microsoft XML Parser 2.6, when used with:
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming)
 * Microsoft XML Core Services 4.0, when used with:
 * Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming)

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SYMPTOMS
When you transform XML data by using Internet Explorer in critical or stress applications, you may see unexpected results and behavior. These results and behavior can include any of the following:
 * Internet Explorer stops responding (or hangs).
 * There are no results in the window (blank or empty page).
 * Access violations occur.



CAUSE
This problem occurs because the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) viewer (Mimeviewer) is not designed for the following situations:
 * Critical applications that must not fail.
 * Stressed applications.
 * Applications where the Refresh button is clicked frequently while transforming.
 * Applications that transform large amounts of XML data.
 * Applications where transformations may be terminated and restarted.
 * Deep XSLT linking in the XSL file.
 * Recursive document loading in xsl:script.

The Mimeviewer is helpful to view single transformation results, or when you use very small amounts of data and small XSL files. This also applies to opening an XML file in Internet Explorer because the XML will be transformed by using the default style sheet.



WORKAROUND
To work around the problem, use one of the following methods:
 * Method 1: Transform the XML data on the server side, and then send the results to the client.
 * Method 2: Transform the XML data in the client-side script (vbscript/jscript/javascript) that uses the TransformNode method.



STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. Microsoft recommends that you use the workarounds in this article.

