RE: referring to variables using variables?

> Thanks very much for your help so far, just wanted to make 
> absolutely sure i 
> understand the select statement in the for-each element  
> select="xx:node-set($index)/*", does it mean that every 
> variable in index is 
> a node and if so why do you have to do that?

A variable created using 

<xsl:variable>
  content
</xsl:variable>

is called (in XSLT 1.0) a "result tree fragment". It is actually a
document root node, but with restrictions that stop you processing it in
the same way as you can process other documents. The xx:node-set()
extension, which is available in most XSLT 1.0 processors under one
namespace or another, converts this restricted document node into a
node-set containing an ordinary document root node, which therefore
allows you to poke around inside the content of the document using path
expressions. Such as xx:node-set($index)/*, for example, which selects
the element children of this document root node.

Michael Kay


> Are there any good web pages where i could find out more 
> about advanced xslt 
> functions which would help me to understand setting up 
> variables in this 
> way? Whenever i come across a problem i tend not to know 
> where to look for 
> solutions so i always end up asking on here as i have a 
> limited experience, 
> does anyone know any really good sites or books that might 
> help me? cheers james walker
> 
> 
> >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 20:20:29 -0000
> >
> >I would suggest:
> >
> ><xsl:variable name="index">
> >   <foobar>http:......</foobar>
> >   <jaka>http:....</jaka>
> ></xsl:variable>
> >
> ><xsl:variable name="nsindex" select="xx:node-set($index)/*"/>
> >
> ><xsl:template match="category">
> >   <xsl:variable name="catname" select="name" />
> >
> >   <xsl:for-each 
> >select="document($nsindex/*[name()=$catname])/root/child::*)">
> >
> >Michael Kay
> >
> >
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > [mailto:owner-xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of james 
> > > walker
> > > Sent: 12 January 2004 16:15
> > > To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > > Subject: RE:  referring to variables using variables?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Is there anyway that i can achieve the same solution but in a 
> > > slightly different way?
> > >
> > > thanks james walker
> > >
> > >
> > > >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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