Re: [xsl] FOP & Extensions

[Martin Honnen <Martin.Honnen@xxxxxx>]

CRANFORD, CHRIS wrote:
> I have an XML document that contains XPATH references like the
> following:
>
> <ROOT>
>    <DATAID>1</DATAID>
>    <DATAS>
>      <DATA>
>        <ID>1</ID>
>        <TYPE>Type1</TYPE>
>      </DATA>
>      <DATA>
>        <ID>2</ID>
>        <TYPE>Type2</TYPE>
>      </DATA>
>    </DATAS>
>    <DATA reference="/ROOT/DATAS/DATA[1]/ID" />
> </ROOT>
>
> In my XSLT, I need to be able to acquire the /ROOT/DATA/@reference
> string and then using some type of evaluation extension, I need to be
> able to obtain the value pointed to by the XPATH of this attribute.
> Therefore, the select result would yield '1'.
>
> I've read I could use XALAN-J or EXSLT; however I am unclear how to:
>
> 1. Install these extensions in my web application
> 2. Reference them for use in my XSLT.
>
> Can someone give me a quick and dirty step-by-step of how to do this?

Saxon is an XSLT 2.0 processor implemented in Java so you can use that 
instead of Xalan-J.
In its commercial versions (or in the 9.1 release) it has an extension 
function
http://www.saxonica.com/documentation/extensions/functions/evaluate-node.xml
you can use e.g.

  <xsl:template match="/ROOT/DATA">
    <xsl:variable name="ref" select="saxon:evaluate-node(@reference)"
      xmlns:saxon="http://saxon.sf.net/"/>
  </xsl:template>


--

	Martin Honnen
	http://msmvps.com/blogs/martin_honnen/