Re: [xsl] [XSL] Two "Philisophical" questions about the language

["G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 2009-01-17 12:23 +0100, Alain wrote:
> First one
> --------------
> We've got an instruction :
> <xsl:if>
>
> But this instruction has no <xsl:else> as any other language I've used.

XSLT was designed for use with XSL-FO, and it is very often the case 
that you want to add something to the result tree or add 
nothing.  XSL-FO has 270 differently-named attributes ... adding some 
on a condition is very common.

> -----------------
> My second one might be easier!
>
> Let's say I have an XML like this
>
> <?xml version="1.0">
> <root>
>  <!-- Any number of nodes here -->
> </root>
>
> As a valid XML document can have only one "main" node,

Called the "document element".

> what is the architectural and practical difference between
>
> <xsl:template select="/">
>
> and
>
> <xsl:template select="/root">

First, it would be match="/" and match="/root", and needing to match 
on the document node is important to access the XML prologue and any 
content after the document element in the instance:

<?xml version="1.0">
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="over-there.xsl">
<?owner jsmith>
<root>
</root>
<!--copyright notice here-->

The root node in the above document has 4 child nodes.

> At the moment:
> - they do the exact same thing

False.

I hope this helps.

. . . . . . . . . . Ken

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