RE: [xsl] Newbie: See if a node exists!

[Mulberry Technologies List Owner <xsl-list-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Friends --

I am sure that I speak for all of the participants on XSL-List when I assure Mr. Albuquerque (and all other beginners with XSL) that they, and their questions, are indeed welcome on XSL-List. (Perhaps they will become experts and start answering questions, and certainly having their questions and answers to them in the archives increases the chances that some other users's question will have been answered in the archives.)

We all started with XSL as beginners, and not very long ago at that. In fact,  XSL-List (and it's predecessor, DSSSList) were started because some people just learning were in need of some help. We hoped that by starting a public list we would be able to coax the community into helping us with our problems. Many people are more willing to answer questions on an archived public list because then the question and the answers will be available to future people with similar questions. 

That is why it is good list manners to:
  - provide a subject line that clearly describes the problem 
    and provide short clear test data that demonstrates the 
    problem and solution
  - keep the whole conversation on the list
    (thus the default of responses going to the list)
  - identify the solution that worked
    (often, but not always in the form of "thanks XXX, I did Y
     as you suggested and it worked")


(And most of us have also made the mistake of saying something in public that was intended to be private, and we should all be tolerant of that, too.)

So, 
  - newbies and their questions, are welcome; and
  - the grouchy are reminded to grumble in private, and advised
    to take a break for a tall cool lemonade.

-- Tommie
-- 
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B. Tommie Usdin                        mailto:btusdin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com    
17 West Jefferson Street                           Phone: 301/315-9631 
Suite 207                                    Direct Line: 301/315-9634 
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285 
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