Tutorial Addendum On XML Technologies - XML Aisle Accent (XPath)

Using XPath in XSL Templates

    

XPath expressions are acclimated in XSL templates anywhere if the consistent data blazon is allowed.

    

For example:

    

 

    
<xsl:template match="LocationPathExpression">

    
<xsl:apply-templates select="LocationPathExpression"/>

    
<xsl:value-of select="StringExpression"/>

    
<xsl:for-each select="LocationPathExpression"/>

    

Let s analysis my sample XML file, dictionary_xsl.xml:

    

 

    
<?xml version="1.0"?>

    
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="dictionary.xsl"?>

    
<dictionary>

    
<!-- dictionary_xsl.xml

    
     Absorb (c) 2002 by Dr.  Yang

    
-->

    
 <word acronym="true">

    
  <name>XML</name>

    
  <definition referenece="'s Notes">eXtensible Markup 

    
Language.</definition>

    
  <update date="2002-12-23"/>

    
 </word>

    
 <word symbol="true">

    
  <name><</name>

    
  <definition>Mathematical attribute apery the "less than" analytic 

    
operation, like: 1<2.</definition>

    
  <definition>Reserved attribute in XML apery the alpha of 

    
tags, like: <![CDATA[<p>Hello world!</p>]]>

    
  </definition>

    
 </word>

    
 <word symbol="false" acronym="false">

    
  <name>extensible</name>

    
  <definition>Capable of getting extended.</definition>

    
 </word>

    
</dictionary>

    

And administer the afterward XSL file:

    

 

    
<?xml version="1.0"?>

    
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"

    
   xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">

    
<!-- dictionary.xsl, adaptation 3.0

    
     Absorb (c) 2002 by Dr.  Yang

    
-->

    
 <xsl:template match="/child::*">

    
  <pre>

    
d_<xsl:value-of select="name(self::node())"/>

    
  <xsl:for-each select="child::word">

    
w__<xsl:value-of select="name(self::node())"/>

    
   <xsl:apply-templates select="self::node()"/>

    
  </xsl:for-each>

    
  </pre>

    
 </xsl:template>

    
 <xsl:template match="child::word">

    
  <xsl:for-each select="attribute::*">

    
a___<xsl:value-of select="name(.)"/>=<xsl:value-of select="."/>

    
  </xsl:for-each>

    
  <xsl:for-each select="child::*">

    
e___<xsl:value-of select="name(self::node())"/>

    
   <xsl:apply-templates select="self::node()"/>

    
  </xsl:for-each>

    
 </xsl:template>

    
 <xsl:template match="child::name | child::definition | child::update">

    
  <xsl:for-each select="attribute::*">

    
a____<xsl:value-of select="name(.)"/>=<xsl:value-of select="."/>

    
  </xsl:for-each>

    
  <xsl:for-each select="child::text()">

    
t____<xsl:value-of select="self::node()"/>

    
  </xsl:for-each>

    
 </xsl:template>

    
</xsl:stylesheet>

    

I got the afterward output:

    

 

    
d_dictionary

    
w__word

    
a___acronym=true

    
e___name

    
t____XML

    
e___definition

    
a____referenece= s Notes

    
t____eXtensible Markup 

    
Language.

    
e___update

    
a____date=2002-12-23

    
w__word

    
a___symbol=true

    
e___name

    
t____<

    
e___definition

    
t____Mathematical attribute apery the "less than" analytic 

    
operation, like: 1<2.

    
e___definition

    
t____Reserved attribute in XML apery the alpha of 

    
tags, like: 

    
t____<p>Hello world!</p>

    
w__word

    
a___symbol=false

    
a___acronym=false

    
e___name

    
t____extensible

    
e___definition

    
t____Capable of getting extended.

    

Conclusion:

    

    
• XPath technology is not allotment of XSL. But it is advised to advice XSL.
  
      



    
• XPath allows us to present sub structures of XML files with academic expressions.