Variables

• <xsl:variable name="xxx">definition</xsl:variable> -- sets up variable, string value, not numeric
• If you want a numeric value, use <xsl:variable name="x" select="number(2)" />
• you cannot change the value of a variable once it is set
• Simple example
• <xsl:copy-of select="$myvariable" /> -- gets the variable, and works with most functions, but not within brackets.
• working example by element
• XSL.htm
• XML.htm
• A more involved example
• {$myvariable} if it is used inside a bracket link (can't use <a href="mailto:<xsl:copy-of select="$myvariable" /> have to use <a href="mailto:{$myvariable} ">
• working example by element
• XSL.htm
• XML.htm
• String example
• <xsl:variable name="colorType" select=" 'boxedRed' "/> -- internal single quotes selects the string you want to use.
• working example by element
• XSL.htm
• XML.htm
• Node example
• need to use a namespace to get this to work
• xmlns:msxml="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt"
• set up the "temp_redundant" variable
• sort the list of authors by alphabet
• get the last name
• copy into a variable named "temp_redundant"
• set up a "redundant" variable
• put "temp_redundant" list into the node-set called "redundant"
• make a "temp_reduced" variable
• look at our "redundant" nodeset and save the position of this last name
• save this last name as the "current" name
• do a "test"
• if pos=1
• or not (current = redundant/*[pos - 1] ) (in the loop, this will check each current)
• The "/" gets us a child of the redundant node
• the * gets us any child[pos-1]
• copy name into temp_reduced
• set up "reduced" variable
• convert "temp_reduced" into the node-set called "reduced"
• print the "reduced" variable
  • working example by element
  • XSL.htm
  • XML.htm
• count the number of books the writer actually contributed
  • <xsl:value-of select="count($redundant/Author[.=$current])"
  • use the count function
  • reference the redundant nodeset
  • reference the Author child predicate = "." stands for self
  • =$current is the current list
• Parameters
• variable that can be set by an outside call
• <xsl:param name="paramName" />
• This one would evaluate to an empty string or false
• Usually used for DOM code to fill the contents before processing the XSLT
• <xsl:param name="paramName" select="xpathExpression" />
• Default value, if no external value is given
• can be a string, number, or node-set
• This is overwritten if the parameter is set from the outside
• working example by element
• XSL.htm
• XSL -- without the attribute "style"
• XML.htm
• <xsl:param name="paramName">XML Tree Fragment Content </xsl:param>
• parameter declarations must precede variables and most other code
• parameter declarations can only be placed at the beginning of the template definition
• makes it difficult to put generated code directly into parameters

XSL Explanation

Templates -- built-in templates, adding modularity, includes and imports

Templates Examples--

XSL Namespaces-- using namespaces with XSL

XPath -- getting around XSL

XPath Examples

Functions-- using functions

Functions Examples

Variables and Parameters