Re: [xsl]Problem with Position()?

["Jay Bryant" <jay@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Hi,
>
>  I am trying to compile a document where I can display things differently 
> based on the position of the <p> tags. However, now it does not print back 
> anything that is in the <p> in the XSLT below? Can someone please tell me 
> what is wrong with this?
>
> XSLT:
>
> <xsl:template match="book">
>
> <div>
>    <xsl:apply-templates select="./@author"/>,
>    <i><xsl:apply-templates select="./@title"/></i>.
>     (<xsl:apply-templates select="./@topic"/>)
>     [  <xsl:apply-templates/>]
>             </div>
>    </xsl:template>
>
> <xsl:template match="p">
>        <xsl:choose>
>            <xsl:when test="position()!=1">
>                <p>
>                    <xsl:call-template name="rend"/>
>                    <xsl:apply-templates/>
>                </p>
>            </xsl:when>
>            <xsl:otherwise>
>                <xsl:if test="position()=1">
>                    <xsl:apply-templates/>
>                </xsl:if>
>            </xsl:otherwise>
>        </xsl:choose>
>    </xsl:template>
>
> XML:
>
>  <book topic="Technology" author="Tennison, Jeni" title="Beginning XSLT">
>
>     <p>New York: Apress, 2002.</p>
>     <p>The book serves as an introduction to XSLT based on the examples of 
> a television program set. A resourceful book for those new to the 
> technology.</p>
>   </book>
>
> Intended Output:
>
>    Tennison, Jeni, Beginning XSLT. (Technology). New York: Apress. 2002
>    The book serves as an introduction to XSLT based on the examples of a 
> television program set. A resourceful book for those new to the 
> technology.
>
> Thanks to those who can help.
>
> Alice

Hi, Alice,

I suspect your problem is because position() never equals 1 for those p 
elements. I added some test lines to your templates to discover the values 
the position() function returned for the p elements and got 2 and 4. Testing 
to see if the value of position() = 1 won't work.

Try changing the test to use the preceding-sibling axis, thus:

<xsl:when test="count(preceding-sibling::p) = 0">

That test catches the first p in a series of neighboring p elements.

HTH

Jay Bryant
Bryant Communication Services
http://www.bryantcs.com/