RE: Interpretation of (preceding::foo)[1]

> If they are considered as expressions, then preceding::foo[1] is a
> location path treated as an expression while (preceding::foo)[1] is
> directly an expression consisting of the parenthesized expr
> (preceding::foo) narrowed by the predicate[1], and the child axis
> isn't applied, despite what the note says.
> 
The spec is really trying to exercise your brain in this area, it says in
3.3 that "the predicate filters the node-set with respect to the child
axis", purely as a device for ensuring that every predicate has an
associated axis and therefore an associated direction. It's a peculiar way
of saying that the nodes are filtered in document order, and has nothing to
do with the nodes being children of any common parent.

Took me a while to work out!

Mike Kay


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