Re: [xsl] [string to node]

[Syd Bauman <Syd_Bauman@xxxxxxxxx>]

> > In both cases it seems as though $a contains only 1 thing, a
> > string. (You can test that it is not a node set by using $a in
> > the select= of a for-each -- you should get a runtime error,
> > since it is a string.)
> 
> No, it's a result tree fragment, not a string.

Oh, right. Thanks for the correction. (He says with his tail between
his legs.) But if I understand correctly, as a result tree fragment,
only those operations that can be performed on strings are permitted
(i.e., can't do path stuff or predicates), and you can't use a result
tree fragment as the value of select= of for-each (or apply-
templates, for that matter), because a result tree fragment is not a
node-set, even though when you do get to use one it behaves as node-
set. (And select= of for-each and apply-templates takes a node-set.)

And because a result tree fragment is always a "root" node (in this
case a single text() node), count($a) will always return 1, right?

Further, I think that if the variable is built using select= instead
of content, the variable is a node-set instead of a result tree
fragment, right? I.e., 
      <xsl:variable name="a" select="//dd"/>
      <xsl:value-of select="count($a)"/>
should return 3 (or however many <dd> were in the input instance).
But what then would
      <xsl:value-of select="$a"/>
return? I just tried it on my test input, and it returned "one". 
Hmm ...