Re: [xsl] template matching everywhere

[Wendell Piez <wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi JF,

At 06:06 PM 3/4/2004, you wrote:
> I would like to write a template that match a particular element but this 
> element could be located anywhere

No problem: templates are generally written to match elements no matter 
where they appear (though you can go to extra trouble to restrict this 
behavior).

> <ROOT>
>    <NODE>
>       maybe some text here
>       <TOBEMATCHED>    </TOBEMATCHED>
>       maybe some text here
>    </NODE>
>    <NODE>
>       <SUBNODE>
>           maybe some text here
>           <TOBEMATCHED>   </TOBEMATCHED>
>           maybe some text here
>       </SUBNODE>
>       <SUBNODE>
>           <SUBSUBNODE>
>                maybe some text here
>               <TOBEMATCHED>   </TOBEMATCHED>
>               maybe some text here
>           </SUBSUBNODE>
>       </SUBNODE>
>    </NODE>
> </ROOT>
>
> I would like to write a template that allow me to automatically translate 
> the TOBEMATCHED element while processing his parent.

The way the XSLT processing model works, you don't translate TOBEMATCHED 
while processing its parent; you output the result you want from 
TOBEMATCHED when you process TOBEMATCHED itself:

<xsl:template match="TOBEMATCHED">
  <!-- this works wherever TOBEMATCHED occurs, assuming the node
       is selected for processing at all -->
  <output>
    <xsl:apply-templates/>
  </output>
</xsl:template>

...which will replace every TOBEMATCHED element with an <output> element.

> For example suppose you have to proceed an HTML document and you want to 
> replace each <b> tag with an <em> tag and did other work on other it may 
> help you understand what I want to do.

<xsl:template match="b">
  <em>
    <xsl:apply-templates/>
  </em>
</xsl:template>

Assuming you do not override the default node traversal of the document, 
this will result in all <b> elements occuring anywhere with <em> elements 
(and will go on to process the rest of the document too).

This is so basic to XSLT that I wonder where the gap is. Have you looked at 
any introductory material on the XSLT processing model? It might also be 
instructive to you to try a simple stylesheet containing nothing but a 
template or two like this one.

My guess is that if you can't get this to work, it's because you are making 
things too complicated. Maybe posting a complete sample with a stylesheet 
that you believe should work, but doesn't, can help us understand where to 
direct your attention.

Cheers,
Wendell


======================================================================
Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
17 West Jefferson Street                    Direct Phone: 301/315-9635
Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
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