Re: How to do macro substitution in XPath?

Here is the wanted "pure XPath" that preserves the "readability":

      let $LBJ := /Book/Title eq 'Path to Power' and /Book/Author eq
'Robert A. Caro',
          $RM  := /Book/Title eq 'Power Broker' and /Book/Author eq 'Robert
A. Caro'
        return
          if($LBJ) then 'action 1'
          else if($RM) then 'action 2'
          else 'Error'

On Sat, Dec 2, 2023 at 7:36b/AM Roger L Costello costello@xxxxxxxxx <
xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
> I am converting prose like this:
>
> If the title = "Path to Power" and the author = "Robert A. Caro" (Lyndon
> Baines Johnson (LBJ)), then
> process LBJ as follows
>     action 1
> If the title = "Power Broker" and the author = "Robert A. Caro" (Robert
> Moses (RM)), then
> process RM as follows
>     action 2
> Neither LBJ nor RM
>     action 3
>
> I need the XPath to be as like the prose as possible.
>
> Suppose the XPath will operate on XML documents like this:
>
> <Book>
>   <Title>Path to Power</Title>
>   <Author>Robert A. Caro</Author>
> </Book>
>
> Below is one approach to writing the XPath. See the XPath in the
> xsl:value-of element. Notice the use of XML ENTITIES.
>
> The advantage of that approach is the XPath looks like the prose.
>
> The disadvantage with that approach is that ENTITIES are not XPath. I need
> to stick with pure XPath. What XPath do you recommend?
>
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
> <!DOCTYPE xsl:stylesheet[
>     <!ENTITY LBJ "((/Book/Title eq 'Path to Power') and (/Book/Author eq
> 'Robert A. Caro'))">
>     <!ENTITY RM "((/Book/Title eq 'Power Broker') and (/Book/Author eq
> 'Robert A. Caro'))">
> ]>
> <xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
> version="3.0">
>     <xsl:template match="/">
>         <xsl:value-of select="
>             if &LBJ; then
>                 'action 1'
>             else if &RM; then
>                 'action 2'
>             else if (not((&LBJ;) or (&RM;))) then
>                 'action 3'
>             else
>                 'Error'
>             "/>
>     </xsl:template>
> </xsl:stylesheet>
>
>
>

--
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
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I finally figured out the only reason to be alive is to enjoy it.