[xsl] search and replace multiple characters fails

[Greg Martel <gregm@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have been working with XSLT 6 weeks. I am having trouble with 
searching and replacing for multiple characters (one character is no 
problem).


<xsl:template name="SANDR">
	<xsl:param name="string"/>
	<xsl:param name="newchar1"/>
	<xsl:param name="newchar2"/>
	<xsl:param name="newchar3"/>
	<xsl:param name="newchar4"/>
	<xsl:param name="newchar5"/>
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#8217;')">
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($string, '&#8217;')"/>
	<xsl:value-of select="$newchar1"/>
		<xsl:call-template name="SANDR">
		<xsl:with-param name="string"
               select="substring-after($string, '&#8217;')"/>
		<xsl:with-param name="newchar1" select="$newchar1"/>
	</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:when>

<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#8226;')">
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($string, '&#8226;')" />
	<xsl:value-of select="$newchar2"/>
	<xsl:call-template name="SANDR">
		<xsl:with-param name="string"
               select="substring-after($string, '&#8226;')"/>
	<xsl:with-param name="newchar2" select="$newchar2"/>
	</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:when>

<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#9642;')">
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($string, '&#9642;')"/>
		<xsl:value-of select="$newchar3"/>
		<xsl:call-template name="SANDR">
		<xsl:with-param name="string"
               select="substring-after($string, '&#9642;')"/>
		<xsl:with-param name="newchar3" select="$newchar3"/>
	</xsl:call-template>
 </xsl:when>

<xsl:when test="contains($string, '@')">
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($string, '@')"/>
		<xsl:value-of select="$newchar4"/>
		<xsl:call-template name="SANDR">
		<xsl:with-param name="string"
               select="substring-after($string, '@')"/>
		<xsl:with-param name="newchar4" select="$newchar4"/>
	</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:when>

<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#8211;')">
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($string, '&#8211;')"/>
	<xsl:value-of select="$newchar5"/>
		<xsl:call-template name="SANDR">
		<xsl:with-param name="string"
               select="substring-after($string, '&#8211;')"/>
		<xsl:with-param name="newchar5" select="$newchar5"/>
	</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:when>

<xsl:otherwise><xsl:value-of select="$string" /></xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:template>

Obviously, this template has at least one problem: If a TextString 
has more than one of these characters, only the 1st one found gets 
replaced. (When one of the conditions is met for a given context 
node, the processor stops looking at the other ones, thus making it 
unable to find & replace more than one  character in this manner). I 
came up with a solution that SHOULD work but doesn't. Basically, 
rather than having one template with 5 conditions, i chose to have 5 
different templates each with one condition; but i have some rather 
unexpected results.


<xsl:template name="SANDR">
	<xsl:call-template name="CHARFIX1">
		<xsl:with-param name="string" select="."/>
		<xsl:with-param name="newchar1" select="'&lt;\#39&gt;'"/>
	</xsl:call-template>

	<xsl:call-template name="CHARFIX2">
		<xsl:with-param name="string" select="."/>
		<xsl:with-param name="newchar2" select="'&lt;\#165&gt;'"/>
	</xsl:call-template>

	&etc, for CHARFIX3, CHARFIX4, CHARFIX5
	</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:template>


<xsl:template name="CHARFIX1">
	<xsl:param name="string"/>
	<xsl:param name="newchar1"/>
<xsl:if test="contains($string, '&#8217;')">
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($string, '&#8217;')"/>
		<xsl:value-of select="$newchar1"/>
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-after($string, '&#8217;')"/></xsl:if>
</xsl:template>


	&etc, for CHARFIX2, CHARFIX3, and CHARFIX4 until 5 which goes:


<xsl:template name="CHARFIX5">
	<xsl:param name="string"/>
	<xsl:param name="newchar5"/>
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#8211;')">
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($string, '&#8211;')"/>
		<xsl:value-of select="$newchar5"/>
	<xsl:value-of select="substring-after($string, '&#8211;')"/>
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
<xsl:choose>
	<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#8217;')"></xsl:when>
	<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#8226;')"></xsl:when>
	<xsl:when test="contains($string, '&#9642;')"></xsl:when>
	<xsl:when test="contains($string, '@')"></xsl:when>
	<xsl:otherwise><xsl:value-of select="$string"/></xsl:otherwise>
	</xsl:choose>
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:template>



With this S and R routine, I get only the FIRST occurrence of any 
character in the list. So where before i got:

		<\#165> Text. Text Text. <\#165> Text Text. <\#165> Text

now i get:	<\#165> Text. Text Text. ? Text Text. ? Text

(where <\#165> is a successful replacement and ? is not)


I don't understand why this is happening. Can anyone see what is 
wrong here? ANd if there is a problem inherent for search and replace 
for multiple characters--how do other folks deal with it?


--
Thanks Muchos,

Greg Martel


--
Thanks Muchos,

Greg Martel
Coordinator of Enchiladas

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