RE: [xsl] Implementing a (fairly) complex business rule

["Bradley, Peter" <pbradley@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Ah!  Misplaced parenthesis.  I have it right everywhere else.

However I need to address the other problems you raise ...

First, there's the context.  Here is a fragment that should give you
enough (if not please say):

...
<xsl:for-each select="s0:EntryProfile">
  <EntryProfile>
    <DOMICILE>
      <xsl:attribute name="codeListAgencyName">
        <xsl:text>HESA</xsl:text>
      </xsl:attribute>
      <xsl:attribute name="codeListName">
        <xsl:text>DOMICILE</xsl:text>
      </xsl:attribute>
      <xsl:attribute name="languageID">
        <xsl:text>en</xsl:text>
      </xsl:attribute>
      <xsl:value-of select="s0:DOMICILE/text()"/>
    </DOMICILE>
    <!-- NULL is valid for a postcode -->
    <xsl:if
test="/s0:HesaSqlExplicit_Response/s0:Institution/s0:Student/s0:Instance
/s0:REDUCEDI = '00'">
      <xsl:if
        test="s0:DOMICILE='XF' or s0:DOMICILE='XG' or s0:DOMICILE='XH'
or s0:DOMICILE='XI' or s0:DOMICILE='XK' or s0:DOMICILE='XL' or
s0:DOMICILE='GG' or s0:DOMICILE='JE' or s0:DOMICILE='IM'">
        <POSTCODE>
          <xsl:if test="string-length(s0:POSTCODE/text()) = 0">
            <xsl:attribute name="ReasonForNull">
              <xsl:text>1</xsl:text>
            </xsl:attribute>
          </xsl:if>
          <xsl:if test="string-length(s0:POSTCODE/text()) > 0">
            <xsl:value-of select="s0:POSTCODE/text()"/>
          </xsl:if>
        </POSTCODE>
      </xsl:if>
    </xsl:if>
...

The input file is highly data-oriented (it comes from a set of database
tables).

Am I right in thinking, from what you say, that I need to test for
non-empty node by doing:

<xsl:if test="s0:POSTCODE/text()">
  <xsl:value-of select="s0:POSTCODE/text()"/>
</xsl:if>

Presumably the test for an empty node in the other xsl:if statement
should be:

<xsl:if test="not(s0:POSTCODE/text())"> ...

I'm guessing the logical not from the fact that 'and' and 'or' are used.
I can check that for myself if you're getting exasperated with my
ignorance :(

I do apologise for my obvious lack of sophistication in matters xslt.
I've rather had this dumped on me, having not looked at xslt for over
three years and even then at a very basic level.  I am enjoying it,
though.

Many thanks


Peter


-----Original Message-----
From: David Carlisle [mailto:davidc@xxxxxxxxx]
Sent: 30 September 2008 14:35
To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [xsl] Implementing a (fairly) complex business rule



> I just cannot see how this can happen.

test="string-length(s0:POSTCODE/text() = 0)"

is always true as it is taking the value returned by  string-length as a
boolean, which is true if it is non zero

the string being passed to string-length is either "true" or "false"
depending on whether
s0:POSTCODE/text() = 0
is true or not, which is true just if one of the text node children of
s0:POSTCODE is "0".

but neither "true" nor "false" have zero length, so the test is always
true.

David


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