RE: referring to variables using variables?

From: "Michael Kay" <mhk@xxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: <xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE:  referring to variables using variables?
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 15:51:08 -0000

XSLT is not a macro language. The content of a variable is a value
(either a boolean, a string, a number, or a node-set). It is not part of
the text of an XPath expression. I think this is where your confusion
comes from.

For example, if $x contains the string 'xyz', then $x/pqr does not mean
xyz/pqr, it means 'xyz'/pqr, which is an error: the operands of the "/"
operator must be node-sets, not strings.

Michael Kay

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
> james walker
> Sent: 12 January 2004 13:56
> To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject:  referring to variables using variables?
>
>
> I am trying to access different xml documents where the
> variable name of the
> document (declared at the top of the file) is equal to the
> category name of
> the file being translated:
> e.g. given this xslt:
>
> <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
> xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
> <xsl:variable name="jaka" select="document('http:......')" />
> <xsl:variable name="foobar" select="document('http:......')" />
>
> <xsl:template match="category">
> <xsl:variable name="catname" select="name" />
> <xsl:for-each select="$catname/root/child::*)">
> <li><xsl:value-of select="detail" /></li> </xsl:for-each>
> <xsl:apply-templates select="./category" /> </xsl:template>
> </xsl:stylesheet>
>
> I translated this with file1.xml which contained the two
> category names jaka
> aand foobar. i have named the categories in the file1.xml to
> be $foobar and
> $jaka so when $catname is substitued into
> $catname/root/child::* it should
> look like $foobar/root/child::* for foobar categoyr and
> $jaka/root/child::*
> for jaka category.
>
> However, when i translate it, it doesnt seem to show anything
> when it gets
> to the xpath staement $catname/root/child::*.
> I tested to see if it works when u put the variable name
> directly in there
> and it does (e.g. putting  $foobar/root/child::* )??
> Does anyone know if i am close to the solution (am i making a
> silly mistake
> with variable decalration?0
> cheers
> james walker
>
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