Re: [xsl] Key function using key strings from msxsl:node-set generated node. Doesn't work?

[Jeni Tennison <jeni@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Gennady,

> Actually it gives Person by Address node-set, not a string. If you
> use this key, you must supply an Address **element**, which is a
> child of the Person element you are looking for. You are supplying a
> string and therefore getting nothing (as it should be).

That's not exactly true. If the expression that you use in the use
attribute of xsl:key evaluates to a node set, then you get a number of
entries for the matched node, one for each node in the node set. The
*value* for these keys is still a string value, just a string value of
the node.

So in:

<xsl:key name="PersonByAddress" match="/People/Person"
         use="Address" />

then given that each Person has just one Address, the use attribute
returns a single Address element. The Person element's key value is
the string value of that Address element. It's exactly the same as
defining the key as:

<xsl:key name="PersonByAddress" match="/People/Person"
         use="string(Address)" />

Likewise, when you access a key with the key() function, the second
argument always gets converted to a string. There's no need to make
sure that the two expressions (when defining the key and when using
the key) have the same object type.
         
Cheers,

Jeni

---
Jeni Tennison
http://www.jenitennison.com/


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