Re: XPath expression that returns the first 10 leaf e

I answered this question 12 years ago:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/4007413/xpath-query-to-get-nth-instance-of-an-element/4008925#4008925

On Fri, Jul 22, 2022 at 4:51 AM Roger L Costello costello@xxxxxxxxx <
xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
> I have an embarrassingly basic question.
>
> My XML document has an <airport> element:
>
> <airport>
>     <a>blah</a>
>    <b>
>       <c>blah</c>
>    </b>
>    ...
> </airport>
>
> I want the first 10 leaf elements within the <airport> element (<a>, <c>,
> ...).
>
> I thought this XPath would do the job:
>
> <xsl:for-each select="airport//*[not(child::*)][position() le 10]">
>
> But that XPath does not return the first 10 leaf elements. It returns over
> nine thousand elements!
>
> What is that XPath expression saying? Clearly it is saying something
> different than I thought it was saying.
>
> I think I found the correct XPath expression:
>
> <xsl:for-each select="(airport//*[not(child::*)])[position() le 10]">
>
> Do you agree that that XPath expression will select the first 10 leaf
> elements within the <aircraft> element?
>
> /Roger
> 
>
>

-- 
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
---------------------------------------
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
---------------------------------------
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
-------------------------------------
Never fight an inanimate object
-------------------------------------
To avoid situations in which you might make mistakes may be the
biggest mistake of all
------------------------------------
Quality means doing it right when no one is looking.
-------------------------------------
You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what
you're doing is work or play
-------------------------------------
To achieve the impossible dream, try going to sleep.
-------------------------------------
Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
-------------------------------------
Typing monkeys will write all Shakespeare's works in 200yrs.Will they write
all patents, too? :)
-------------------------------------
Sanity is madness put to good use.
-------------------------------------
I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.