Re: XSLT/XPATH jargon

[Phil Lanch <phil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Pawson, David" wrote:
> 
> RTF and AVT finally did it.
> 
> I've 'lifted' various definitions from various places to try and put
> together
> a jargon buster for XSLT.  Comments please prior to my putting it in
> the FAQ.
> What would you like in it / whats missing.

- patterns are missing - here's my attempt to rewrite [5.2] (of the
spec) to make it a bit clearer (and not too inaccurate) - feel free to
continue rewriting it -

PATTERN: A pattern is a kind of EXPRESSION. An expression that is also a
pattern always evaluates to a node-set.
  The main use of patterns is to identify which nodes a template can
apply to, viz. it can apply to any node that matches the pattern
specified in its select attribute. In a pattern, | indicates
alternatives; a node matches a pattern with one or more | separated
alternatives if it matches any one of the alternatives. Each alternative
is a sequence of STEPs separated by / or //; it is matched from right to
left: a node matches an alternative only if the rightmost step matches
the node and a suitable element matches each of the other steps; if the
separator is / then only the parent is a suitable element; if the
separator is //, then any ancestor is a suitable element.
  Patterns are also used for numbering and for declaring keys.

> Can you improve on the definitions?
> I'd appreciate any help.
> 
> Intent is clarity of understanding, not exactness.

-- 

cheers

phil

"When they bring me fear soup to eat,
I try not to eat it, I try to send it back.
But sometimes I'm too afraid to and have to eat it anyway."


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