Re: [xsl] How to avoid careless mistakes when using XSLT modes?

["Eliot Kimber ekimber@xxxxxxxxxxxx" <xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I usually have a fallback template in each mode and during development or for
debugging turn on a message indicating what it matched on. Useful for
validating that you've handled all the elements that will need handling,
especially when you're first building the handling for a new document type.

With XSLT 3's new mode instruction and the ability to have a built-in default
template for shallow-copy there's no need for a fallback in the context of
identity transforms, so then you lose the opportunity to have this kind of
fallback handling message, although of course you can start with the template
and then remove it for debugging purposes.

Cheers,

E.

--
Eliot Kimber
http://contrext.com


o;?On 4/19/19, 1:41 PM, "David Sewell dsewell@xxxxxxxxxxxx"
<xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

    I just spent too much time completely puzzled about why a particular
template
    was not producing correct/expected output before realizing that in many
cases
    the template was not matching anything -- because some time ago I had
added a
    mode to certain instances of <xsl:template> and <xsl:apply-templates>
without
    being sure to adjust other templates in the stylesheet.

    Adding mode="#all" to my failing template fixed the problem.

    Obviously one could prevent many such problems by checking for the
existence of
    @mode in a stylesheet before working with it. Remembering always to do
that is
    the problem. Any other suggestions? (I guess one could make a habit of
adding an
    <xsl:message> to the template matching the root to warn that the template
is
    using modes.)

    David

    --
    David Sewell
    Manager of Digital Initiatives
    The University of Virginia Press
    Email: dsewell@xxxxxxxxxxxx   Tel: +1 434 924 9973
    Web: http://www.upress.virginia.edu/rotunda