Re: [xsl] [xslt 2.0] Difference betwen functions and templates

[David Carlisle <davidc@xxxxxxxxx>]

> Has is also be explained in this thread already that another
> difference is that xsl:functions do not receive any initial
> focus?

That can be viewed (more or less) as a difference in syntax rather than
a difference in functionality.

<xsl:template name="my:f">
  <xsl:with-param name="x" select="$x"/>...

is more or less the same as

my:f(.,$x)

passing the current node explictly, with the body of the function being
the body of the template, wrapped in

<xsl:param name="here" as="item()"/>
<xsl:param name="x"/>
<xsl:for-each select="$here">
 .....
</xsl:for-each>




 or to be even closer, you can pass
last() as well

my:f(.,last(),$x)


This doesn't capture current mode, and the state of any grouping
constructs that are in effect, but it does mean that you can rewrite the
vast majority of existing named templates as functions if you wish.
For example, if you want to port them to XQuery. Of coourse templates
using modes or xsl:for-each-group would have other difficulties being
translated to Xquery, anyway.

David


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