XSLT Notes

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1. Display

Links

1. Data driven xslt transformations

2. Template driven xslt transformations

3. Using XSLT variables and parameters

Reference

1. Reference: msdn

2. Elements: msdn

3. Functions: msdn

This is a summary document dealing with XSLT. You will find here links, references, questions, findings etc on XSLT. This is sort of a homepage for the XSLT knowledge folder.

How can I copy an input XML document as it is to an output XML document using XSLT?

Wondering if the windows msxml.dll can do this? I can also use ie with xslt embedded in the xml document. I can use xalan perhaps as well but that requires downloading that stuff and its dependents. Samething with xmlspy. Another thingy I need to worry about.

The following reference from msdn can be helpful in writing a batch file to run xslt transformations

Running XSLT in windows via html or command scripting or Initiate XSLT in a script

That would be nice. I could have a directory of xml and xslts that I can work on while in eclipse. It will be nice to have an xml file and an xslt file hosted in the same window with two tabs while the third tab in the same window will reflect the result tree.

Look for a plug in

Is there an article or a reference that explains the basic workings of XSLT from a architectural perspective? This document when combined with the reference should be sufficient to use XSLT with any amount of complexity.

1. Copy an incoming xml document as it is

2. Rename an element

3. Rename an attribute

4. Delete an element

5. Delete an attribute

6. Insert an element

7. Insert an attribute

8. sort elements

9. Add aggreatated functions for totals

What is the future direction of XSLT? Is XSLT a good way to transform XML documents? Are there other alternatives? What are big companies working on in this direction?

Procedural languages have the main method that starts of things. Even a "grep" has a main which is the first line of the source document.

How about the XSLT? Is it the root template? Is it the begining of the source XML? Is it the first template in the XSLT? Or are there any built in templates that start of the process?

Apparently, according to MSDN, When the XSLT processor begins to process the XSLT tree, the processor looks for the template rule that points to the document root element in the source tree.

Also beware of the built in rules as well. Apparently there is a built in rule for the root node, a text node, and a comment node, and a process instruction node. Apparently there are 7 node types in an xml document.

See here for a diagram of tree based transformation borrowed from Microsoft MSDN

This can be done as an extra element on the XML. Or is there a built XML header tags that can accomodate a name or a version for this document. Or is it typically known from the confirming XSD version in the header?

Shortening XSLT Stylesheets By Manfred Knobloch 

xslt 2.0 programmers reference by Michael Kay
xpath 2.0 programmers reference by Michael Kay

xpath expression reference on w3

xpath is used everywhere in xslt. especially in selects. It behaves differently based on context

Read up on attribute value templates. See why expressions are evaluated some times and not other times