This solution only works if the XPath expressions are all valid XSLT
patterns. It would certainly make the problem easier if this can be
guaranteed.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/

> 
> Either run file2.xml through
> 
> <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
>                 xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
>                 
> xmlns:axsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform/alias">
>   <xsl:namespace-alias stylesheet-prefix="axsl" result-prefix="xsl"/>
>   <xsl:template match="mapping">
>     <axsl:stylesheet version="1.0">
>       <xsl:for-each select="replace">
>         <axsl:template match="{xpath}">
>           <axsl:attribute name="{{name()}}">
>             <xsl:value-of select="with"/>
>           </axsl:attribute>
>         </axsl:template>
>       </xsl:for-each>
>       <axsl:template match="@* | node()">
>         <axsl:copy>
>           <axsl:apply-templates select="@* | node()"/>
>         </axsl:copy>
>       </axsl:template>
>     </axsl:stylesheet>
>   </xsl:template>
> </xsl:stylesheet>
> 
> and then process file1.xml with the generated stylesheet. Or 
> use Mike's solution that used the extension function.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Jarno