Re: [xsl] Matching a recursive local element structure

[Syd Bauman <Syd_Bauman@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi David! I think you're asking "how do I match C when its closest
ancester B is closer than its closest ancester A", right?

In which case, perhaps something like

  <xsl:template match="C">
    <xsl:choose>
      <xsl:when test="generate-id( (ancestor::A|ancestor::B)[1] ) =
generate-id( ancestor::A[1] )">
        <!-- do A//C stuff -->
      </xsl:when>
      <xsl:when test="generate-id( (ancestor::A|ancestor::B)[1] ) =
generate-id( ancestor::B[1] )">
        <!-- do B//C stuff -->
      </xsl:when>
      <xsl:otherwise>
        <xsl:message>Well I'll be -- it appears I have neither an A nor B
ancestor!</xsl:message>
      </xsl:otherwise>
    </xsl:choose>
  </xsl:template>

would do the trick? (Untested.)

Of course this template catches each C in /A/B/C/A/B/C/A/B/C, and
processes them all on the B branch. Did you only want the leaf C?


> Suppose I have a schema which describes a recursive structure as local
> elements.
> Example (pseudo DTD, and pseudo xml I can provide more formal defs if
needed
> )
>
> Element section  (text)*
> Element text ( list | para | bold | #PCDATA )*
> Element list ( item*)
> Element item ( text | subheading ) *
> Element subheading (text)*
>
> So for example doc may look like
>
> <section>
>   <text>Text
>        <list>
>                        <item><para>Item Text</para></item>
>                        <item><para>Item Text2</para></item>
>                        <item><para>Item Text</para>
>        <list><item><para>More text> </item></list></para></item>
>                 </list>
>    </text>
> </section>
>
>
> The key point is that the schema is recursive, so an xpath (or xslt match)
> might be
>
>                 section/text
>                 section/text/list/item/para
>                
> section/text/list/item/list/item/list/item/list/item/list/item . Can get
> really long here !!!!
>
>
>
> Now suppose I want to avoid an infinite number of XSLT match strings but I
> want to match say list/item but ONLY within section/text
> (presume there may be a different list/item locally defined within say
> subheader)
>
>
> Suggestions on to a good way to do that ?
>
> <template match=section/text//list/item > 
>
> But this might match
>                 section/text/subheading/list/item
> or
>                 section/text/list/item/subheading/list/item
>
>
> which I dont want.
>
> I only want to match the list/item which is a local element definition
> below section  (recursively),.
> so the match should select
>                 section/text/list/item/list/item/list/item
> but not
>                 section/text/list/item/subheading/list/item
>
> ( which I would say match with
>                 subheading/list/item
>                 subheading/list/item/list/item
> )
>
>
> Is there an obvious way to do this ?
> Its entirely possible that Im asking an impossible question (that is the
> schemas may simply not allow this restriction in the first place),
> But Im trying to solve a general problem so asking a general question.
>
> This is based on generating match strings from XSD element declarations so
> its really a XSD question as well 
> Maybe its impossible to describe a schema such that a descendant
list/item
> is distinguishable if its under section or subheading ?
>
> Thanks for any suggestion !