Re: [xsl] initial template parameters

["G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 2010-03-18 01:29 -0400, Max Toro wrote:
> "Parameters passed to the transformation by the client application are
> matched against stylesheet parameters (see 9.5 Global Variables and
> Parameters), not against the template parameters declared within the
> initial template. All template parameters within the initial template
> to be executed will take their default values."
>
> Why? :-(

Why not?  It is quite flexible that way.

If you want to have parameters passed to the transformation to be 
accessed from within the initial template to be executed, then have 
the default values of the initial template use the global values:

  <xsl:param name="global-command-line"/>
  <xsl:template match="/">
    <xsl:param name="initial" select="$global-command-line"/>
    ...$initial...
  </xsl:template>

Because local variables shadow global variables you could have the 
following if you plan to invoke the initial template a number of 
times in the transform:

  <xsl:param name="x"/>
  <xsl:template match="/">
    <xsl:param name="x" select="$x"/>
    ...$x...
  </xsl:template>

Since global variables are visible to all templates, if you are only 
ever invoking the initial template once, then you don't need the 
parameter in the template because the global parameter is visible:

  <xsl:param name="x"/>
  <xsl:template match="/">
    ...$x...
  </xsl:template>

I think this flexibility is quite important.

In my XSLStyle documentation methodology for XSLT stylesheets I have 
a template rule for the root node that has parameters initialized 
when first invoked from the command line but passed with new values 
when the same template rule is invoked later in the transformation.

Can you express what concerns you about not having them passed?

I hope this helps.

. . . . . . . . . . Ken


--
XSLT/XQuery training:         San Carlos, California 2010-04-26/30
Principles of XSLT for XQuery Writers: San Francisco,CA 2010-05-03
XSLT/XQuery training:                 Ottawa, Canada 2010-05-10/14
XSLT/XQuery/UBL/Code List training: Trondheim,Norway 2010-06-02/11
Vote for your XML training:   http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/s/i/
Crane Softwrights Ltd.          http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/s/
G. Ken Holman                 mailto:gkholman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Male Cancer Awareness Nov'07  http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/s/bc
Legal business disclaimers:  http://www.CraneSoftwrights.com/legal