RE: [xsl] Copy idiom and overriding namespaces: trying to be smart, finding approaches

["Michael Kay" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> A copy of my last attempt, leaving out 
> comment nodes and processing instructions:
> 
>     <xsl:template match="@*" >
>         <xsl:copy />    
>     </xsl:template>
>    
>     <xsl:template match="*" >
>         <xsl:element name="{local-name()}"
namespace="{$target-namespace}">
>             <xsl:apply-templates  select="@* | node()" />
>         </xsl:element>
>     </xsl:template>
>
Yes, that's a good solution. It doesn't copy any namespaces that aren't
actually used, but that's OK if your source document doesn't use
QNames-in-content (such as xsi:type="xs:integer"). And it doesn't change the
namespace of any attributes.

 
> In short, I could conclude that it is not possible to make a 
> template only for namespace nodes and change the result tree 
> namespace when you encounter an input namespace. 

You can read namespaces nodes using the namespace axis, and in 2.0 you can
create namespace nodes using the xsl:namespace instruction; but none of this
changes the name of an element or attribute. Element and attribute names
consist of a namespace URI plus local name, and to change the namespace URI
of the node you need to use the namespace attribute of xsl:element or
xsl:attribute. 

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/