Re: [xsl] <xsl:attribute issue

[Abel Braaksma <abel.online@xxxxxxxxx>]

Vaduvoiu Tiberiu wrote:
> Hi, I am trying to create an attribute for one of my xml files that has a typoical format like:
> <root>
>     <level1>
>             <name>Name1</name>
>             other tags
>     </level1>
>     <level1>
>             <name>Name2</name>
>             other tags
>     </level1>
> </root>
>
> so I'm trying to set the attribute of the name element before displaying it:
>
> <xsl:for-each select=level1>
>     <xsl:variable ....{here I get a variable so that's why I can't call directly for each level1/name>
>
> <xsl:for-each select="name">
>     <xsl:attribute name="test">
>             <xsl:value-of select="4"/>(just for testing, instead of 4 I have a variable but I put 4 for testing)
> </xsl:attribute>
> <xsl:for-each>
> </xsl:for-each>
>
>
> and then if I try to display it using
> <xsl:for-each select="level1/name">
>     <xsl:value-of select="@test"/>
> </xsl:for-each>, 
>
> it doesn't display anything.

I wonder what you mean with "display" as XSLT is a transformation 
language and cannot display anything.

From what you read above I got the faint impression that you think you 
can build an element during transformation (level1/name) and then 
transform that same element again and request the value of that 
attribute. Also, you seem to think that you can have any multitude of 
attributes with the same name on an element (you use xsl:for-each) which 
is not possible because it is not XML.

You create an attribute like this:
<xsl:attribute name="bla">value</xsl:attribute>

but it must be a direct child of an element, like this:
<lre-element>
  <xsl:attribute name="bla">value</xsl:attribute>
</lre-element>

if the value is literate, you don't need to use xsl:attribute
<lre-element bla="value" />

if the value can be expressed with an xpath expression (as opposed to, 
say, apply-templates or another for-each), you can use an AVT:
<lre-element bla="{path/to/value}" />

Because it seems likely that you have not yet understood the XSLT 
processing model, or the basic ideas behind it, consider reading a 
tutorial. There are plenty on the web and I can recommend the books of 
Jeni Tenison fo starters and Michael Kay's for reference.

Good luck coding
-- Abel Braaksma

PS: your original inquiry seems to be about enhancing existing XML with 
a couple attributes. Look up the modified copy template which will look 
something like the following in your case:


<xsl:template match="node() | @*">
  <xsl:copy><xsl:apply-templates select="node() | @*" /></xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="name">
   <xsl:copy>
       <xsl:attribute name="test">4</xsl:attribute>
       <xsl:apply-templates select="node() | @*" /
   </xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>