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Re: Quick question regarding XPath

• To: xml-dev@l...
• Subject: Re: Quick question regarding XPath
• From: "G. Ken Holman" <gkholman@C...>
• Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 09:32:53 -0500
• In-reply-to: <Pine.GSO.4.58.0402250601540.17412@p...>
• References: <Pine.GSO.4.58.0402250549490.17412@p...><Pine.GSO.4.58.0402250549490.17412@p...>

At 2004-02-25 06:04 -0800, Murali Mani wrote:
>You are misinterpreting my question:
>
>Is it possible to say doc ("test.xml")/a//@b

Yes, that is valid XPath syntax.

>is the above equivalent to:
>
>doc ("test.xml")/(a/@b | a//*/@b)

If the above were valid XPath 1.0 syntax, then yes.  In XPath 1.0 terms it 
would be: 'doc("test.xml")/a/@b | doc("test.xml")/a//*/@b'

>// is the descendant axis - not the root of the document.

Not quite true and your questions are answered when you realize that "//" 
is an abbreviation of "/descendent-or-self::node()/" ... note how it does 
include itself.  And also note that you cannot end an expression with "//".

So "//" of "//@b" includes the current node, so the current node's b 
attribute is addressed, and it includes its children and descendent 
elements, so their b attributes are also included.

>the question tries to see whether attributes and elements are treated
>similarly by the // axis

The question is not well phrased.  Since "//" is *not* an axis, the 
question would be (I think) "does the // abbreviation give me access to all 
descendent nodes and myself so that when I step away from those nodes in 
the next location step of the location path I can hit both element and 
attribute children I get all attached attributes and child elements and all 
their attributes?" and the answer is yes.

I hope this helps.

...................... Ken


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