This is an example script on how to do XSLT transformations in Python 2.6 through the Gnome libxml XML C parser and toolkit. The relative fast C library is available on multiple platforms but you will also need Python bindings for libxml2 and libxslt. There is a handy libxml2 and libxslt Python bindings installer for Windows which also includes the C libraries in DLL form.

Files: 

libxml_xslt_transform_example.py_.txt

Tested with deegree-csw 2.3pre
Read the XSLT file for more information.

Attached is an example XSLT1 script to transform a WMS GetCapabilities 1.1.1 response to a CSW Insert transaction. The script is based on deegree's wms2iso19119.xsl (http://www.deegree.org/).
Note that currently it only supports WMS version 1.1.1 (<WMT_MS_Capabilities>) responses because it chokes on 1.3.0 (<WMS_Capabilities>) responses.

Files: 

etl_wms2csw_v3.py_.txt

Files: 

wms2iso19119_insert_XSLT1_07.xsl

Files: 

wms_getcapabilities_url.txt

... kind of sounds like overkill, but there's reason behind the confusion!

Imagine that you're trying to find some data. In the USGIN scheme, in order to find data you search through CSW services, which are catalogues full of ISO1939 metadata documents. Each of these documents points you to a dataset or service that is somewhere, hopefully online, for you to take a look at. These CSW services are like the card catalogues of the digital era.

Following is a presentation on XML Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) we did at the Geoscience Data Preservation Techniques Workshop, Indiana Geological Survey, Bloomington, IN on July 2009.

Although this presentation was geared towards National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) metadata, the same tools can be used for other ETL needs.

Files: 

AZGS_to_NGGDPP_ETL_Bloomington_2009_July_v2.pdf