Re: Generating numbering for cross-references (LONG)

<xsl:template match="ref">
  <xsl:apply-templates select="id(@to)" mode="ref-label"/>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="section" mode="ref-label">
  <xsl:text>Section </xsl:text>
  <xsl:number level="multiple" format="1.1.1"/>
</xsl:template>

Cheers,
Wendell

In a typical research document, an author needs to make many
cross-references.  XML provides ID and IDREF attributes for this
purpose, and lots of DTDs are written to make use of them. I'm having
a problem instatiating three classes of numeric cross-reference in
XSLT, namely:

a. Tables and figures, as in `See <ref to="foo"/>' where
   you have <table id="foo"> or <figure id="foo">

b. Chapters/sections/subsections/etc, where the reference
   looks the same as above but points at (eg) <section id="foo">
   and needs to generate a decimal-style reference (eg 1.1.1)

c. Reading lists (bibliographies) where the citation says
   <cite work="foo"/> and the entry says <bibentry id="foo">

In normal processing of the document text, you use <xsl:number> to
assign counters to tables, figures, chapters, sections, bib entries,
etc. At serialization, these numbers get values in the normal way,
but those values are not available or accessible to other places
in the stylesheet because the language is side-effect free. You
cannot reach over to the relevant part of the tree (by ID) and
pluck a copy of a number which has not yet been generated.

********************************************************************
At the point where a reference is made, what is the XPath expression
you need to generate the number which will be the value which will
eventually get assigned to the target?
********************************************************************

References can be scattered (randomly distributed) through the
document, so <xsl:number> cannot be used at the point of reference as
it can be at the target, as it presupposes sequence.

Cheers,
Wendell

======================================================================
Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
17 West Jefferson Street                    Direct Phone: 301/315-9635
Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
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