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Neal Walters

Subject: Xpath Queries
Author: Neal Walters
Date: 17 Feb 2006 03:54 PM

I use your Xpath query viewer usually dozens of times per day.

Two things could make it better:
1) a bigger window where you could see more of the xpath command (may of mine are 50-100 characters long).
2) more specific errors. Sometimes it just says token missing or syntax error. Is there anyway you say "syntax error at or near position 84", or "possible missing bracket or quote" or something like that.

Thanks,
Neal Walters
http://Biztalk-Training.com

Neal Walters

Subject: Xpath Queries
Author: Neal Walters
Date: 17 Feb 2006 04:04 PM

Another would be a "stupidity" or "typo" checker. For instance maybe I'm trying to match on @Varname = 'abc' but the attribute is @VarName. Perhaps it could suggest that that there is no @Varname in the XML and that perhaps the closest matching attribute name is @VarName.

Thanks
Neal

Neal Walters

Subject: Xpath Queries
Author: Neal Walters
Date: 17 Feb 2006 04:11 PM

Here's an example of what I'm working with in that little bitty window:

count(/*[local-name()='UltimusWorkflowResponse']/Payload/*[local-name()='UltimusIncidentResponse']/*[local-name()='LocalVariables' and namespace-uri()='http://schemas.compassion.com/ultimus/ultimusincidentresponse/2005-03-01']/*[local-name()='LocalVariable' and @VarName='gArrSelectedActionTypeCode']/*[local-name()='VarValue'][.='PROFILEUPDATE'])

Tony helped me a lot to get going on the Xpath when there is a no-prefix namespace.

Neal Walters
http://Biztalk-Training.com

Minollo I.

Subject: Xpath Queries
Author: Minollo I.
Date: 17 Feb 2006 04:22 PM

Neal, we hear you; and we completely agree with you.
We will try addressing this issue as soon as we can.

Thanks,
Minollo

Scooter Willis

Subject: Xpath Queries
Author: Scooter Willis
Date: 15 Mar 2006 03:59 PM
Originally Posted: 15 Mar 2006 04:00 PM

I have both Stylus Studio Pro and Oxygen. I have Oxygen because the XPATH support is better than Stylus Studio by a wide margin. Half the time I can't even get XPATH to work in Stylus Studio because when I edit an XPATH statement in the little text field it all seems to fall apart because of the 1: 2: numbering scheme.

If you are working to improve a couple killer features.

As discussed treating the XPATH query window as a large text box is a must. My XPATH statements tend to be large.

Typeahead support is nice but in the case of Oxygen it tends to get in the way when I am typing a known command. So if you are trying to help on typeahead prediction make sure it doesn't get in the way of typing. Netbeans 5.0 does a good job of this now where in netbeans 4.1 they got in the way of typing.

In the SQL world it is common to have a collection of most commonly used SQL commands that you run all the time. You highlight the command and then run. The same level of XPATH is needed. You could treat the XPATH window as a tabbed window and allow the loading of a text file. I highlight and select the XPATH I want to run. The problem is associating it with the correct XML file. A simple approach could be to run it against the last XML file viewed or selected. If you can do a split window where the XML is in the top view and the XPATH window the bottom view this will allow writing of XPATH based on XML structure. The key here is being able to run saved XPATH statements and having them all in a window to select. In oxygen I am forced to retype or copy past the XPATH I run all the time.

Another feature is the right click generate XPATH command based on a particular XML element. I can't figure out how to make this work in Studio. In Oxygen it works well except it hard codes the absolute path based on the child index [1] [5] etc. When I am running XPATH it is against a collection of child elements based on some filter criteria so I always end up editing out [] the absolute path.

Highlighting the resulting selected nodes may also be a nice feature but being able to click on the list and going to the node works well.

One other non XPATH feature that may be possible is the ability to fold all children nodes at the same level. If I go to a particular element and collapse all children nodes it would be nice to have this work against all children in the doc at the same level.

(Deleted User)

Subject: Xpath Queries
Author: (Deleted User)
Date: 15 Mar 2006 04:40 PM

Hi, Scooter. We are in the process of redesigning our XPath query facility. We are taking your and other users' suggestions seriously, and we think you'll be happy with the new implementation. We expect to make it available with a Stylus Studio release some time this summer.

Thanks for taking the time to offer suggestions.

David Foster
Stylus Studio Team

Manfred Knobloch

Subject: Xpath Queries
Author: Manfred Knobloch
Date: 24 Mar 2006 06:09 AM

I totally agree and hope to have support for shorter xpath expressions
soon.
i.e.

//tr

instead of
//*[local-name()='tr' and namespace-uri()='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml']

when asking for elements belonging to the default namespace.

regards from stylus newbe

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