RE: [xsl] XSLT2 xsl:sequence blocking ancestor refs?

["Michael Kay" <mike@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The construct

    <xsl:variable name="b">
      <xsl:sequence select="$p"/>
    </xsl:variable>

creates a temporary tree: $b is a document node, with a copy of $p attached
as a child. If you want $b to be the same node as $p, use

<xsl:variable name="b" select="$p"/>

or

    <xsl:variable name="b" as="node()">
      <xsl:sequence select="$p"/>
    </xsl:variable>

See http://www.w3.org/TR/xslt20/#temporary-trees

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marshall Schor [mailto:msa@xxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: 27 March 2007 13:32
> To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [xsl] XSLT2 xsl:sequence blocking ancestor refs?
> 
> Using xsl:sequence seems to chop off the ability to reference 
> ancestors of selected nodes.
> Is this working-as-designed?
> 
> Here's a quick demo.  In this piece of test code, the 
> variable "b" has no parent, while the variable "a" does:
> 
> <xsl:variable name="in">
>     <e1>
>       <e2>
>         <e3>
>           <e4>yes</e4>
>         </e3>
>       </e2>
>     </e1>
>   </xsl:variable>
> 
>   <xsl:template match="anything_to_get_started">
> 
>     <xsl:variable name="p" select="$in/e1/e2/e3/e4"/>
>     <xsl:variable name="a" select="$p"/>
>     <xsl:message select="'parent of a'"/>
>     <xsl:message select="$a/parent::node()"/>
> 
>     <xsl:variable name="b">
>       <xsl:sequence select="$p"/>
>     </xsl:variable>
>     <xsl:message select="'parent of b'"/>
>     <xsl:message select="$b/parent::node()"/>
> 
>   </xsl:template>
> 
> The output using Saxon 8.9
> 
>      [java] parent of a
>      [java] <e3><e4>yes</e4></e3>
>      [java] parent of b
> 
> 
> -Marshall Schor