> I'd like to sort using ItmDesc, but only a substring of it.  
> Here's my sort:
> 
> <xsl:sort select="substring-after(ItmDesc,'-')" order="ascending"/>

You haven't explained enough about the context, but perhaps you want

<xsl:sort select="substring-after(.,'-')" order="ascending"/>

Mike Kay

 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list