If the template truly encapsulates the layout of the components on the page, then I would only have to change the template to obtain the results I want. But that will not always be the case. Using nested templates might be one solution, though I think that could get messy. Martin Cooper Martin, Templates encapsulate how components are arranged to compose a Webpage, not the layout of individual components themselves. This is exactly the way layout managers work in AWT and Swing.
Individual components are responsible for their own look and feel.
XSLT is one tool, and templates are another. My toolbox has room for both. JSP 1.1 has a standard extension mechanism and can easily handle multiple sources, and we have tried to encourage tool manipulation of JSPs. For most developers, it should be their second JSP book. Ashok, I just installed your fabulous ExcelAdapter .