RE: [xsl] wanting to clarify some string functions and string value

["Robert P. J. Day" <rpjday@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Tue, 27 May 2003 Jarno.Elovirta@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> >   in many of the XSL books/tutorials i've seen, there are numerous
> > examples of string functions that involve the current node, as in
> > 
> >   //element[contains(., "fred")]				
> > 
> > or
> > 
> >   //element[starts-with(., "abc")]
> > 
> > 
> >   in examples like this, i'm assuming that "." can be rewritten in
> > the long form, with either of:
> > 
> >   self::node()
> >   self::*
> > 
> > although i suspect the former is used more widely.
> 
> In the above case they can be rewritten like that, but remember if you have
> 
>   //@attribute[contains(., "fred")]
> 
> this cannot be rewritten to 
> 
>   //@attribute[contains(self::*, "fred")]
> 
> because the principal node type for self axis is element and "--A node
> test * is true for any node of the principal node type--". See
> <http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath#node-tests>.

ah, good point -- i was fixated on element nodes only.  thanks.

rday


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