[xsl] Insert character for missing nodes

Subject: [xsl] Insert character for missing nodes
From: "Jesse Gillies" <jessegillies@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:21:25 -0400
Hello,

I am converting XML files to pipe-delimited text files using xsltproc
and xslt version 1. The problem I'm having is that in my XML file,
every possible child node is not present under every parent node.
Here's an example:

<business>
  <name>Hot Dog Stand</name>
  <address>123 Main St</address>
  <url>http://www.hotdogstand.com</url>
</business>
<business>
  <name>Joe's Pizza</name>
  <address>213 Pine St</address>
</business>

Because Joe's Pizza is missing the url node, I don't get a pipe, which
throws off my columns. Is there a way to test for all possible nodes,
and where any are missing, to insert a character?

Here's what I've got so far in my xsl file (I'm excluding the reviews
node because I'm creating separate flat files for the data in that
node):

<xsl:template match="business">
  <xsl:for-each select="*[not(self::reviews)]">
   <xsl:value-of select="."/>
   <xsl:if test="position() != last()">
    <xsl:value-of select="'|'"/>
   </xsl:if>
   </xsl:for-each>
  <xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
</xsl:template>

Thanks,
Jesse

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