Re: xsl:if to separate child elements

["John E. Simpson" <simpson@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:35 PM 09/25/2000 -0700, pmitra wrote:
>  I am somehow really stuck trying to separate out different child
> elements using <xsl:if>. Please help with the following situation if
> possible:
>
> Here is an example of the type of xml I am working with - 1 help element
> with multiple heltext and helpexample elements:
>
> <category name="science">
> <help>
> <helptext>
> This is a descriptive note
> </helptext>
> <helpexample>
> This is an example
> </helpexample>
> <helptext>
> This is another line of text
> </helptext>
> </help>
> </category>
>
> I would like to do a for-each to be able to print out all helptext and
> helpexample elements in sequence, but I would like to give a different
> style to helptext vs helpexample (<pre></pre>).

When you say "in sequence," you mean in the order they appear in the XML 
document, right? If not, please explain. If so, please read on.

Forget the for-each. Like Chris Bayes (I think) says, "Newbie rule #1: 
Don't use xsl:for-each." (It often doesn't do what newcomers might think it 
does.) For that matter, you don't need any xsl:if's either.

This stylesheet:

<!-- Template for root <help> element -->
<xsl:template match="help">
    <!-- Process all children of <help>, i.e. all
    <helptext> and <helpexample> elems., in doc order -->
    <xsl:apply-templates />
</xsl:template>

<!-- Template for <helptext> elements -->
<xsl:template match="helptext">
    <!-- Wrap content in <pre> element -->
    <pre><xsl:value-of select="." /></pre>
</xsl:template>

<!-- Template for <helpexample> element -->
<xsl:template match="helpexample">
    <!-- Just output content -->
    <xsl:value-of select="." />
</xsl:template>

... when applied to your sample XML with Saxon or XT, transforms it to:

<pre xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40";>
This is a descriptive note
</pre>
This is an example
<pre xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40";>
This is another line of text
</pre>

When viewed in IE5, either this HTML output from Saxon/xt *or* the XML when 
linked to the stylesheet, displays:

This is a descriptive note    <--displays in fixed font
This is an example            <--displays in proportional font
This is another line of text  <--displays in fixed font

Is that the result you wanted?

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