XSL/Xpath help needed

[Vrinda Werdel]

Hi all,

I am trying to write an XSL for an XML to output another XML.

The input XML looks like this:

  
<Info>
<Address>
   <BillingAddress>
      <FirstName></FirstName>
      <LastName></LastName>
   </BilldingAddress>
   <ShippingAddress>
      <FirstName></FirstName>
      <LastName></LastName>
   </ShippingAddress>
</Address>
</Info>

I need to convert this to the following output:

<Address>    
<type>BillingAddress</type>
<data name="BillingAddressInfo">
   <var name="FirstName"></var>
   <var name="LastName"></var>
</data>
<data name="ShippingAddressInfo">
   <var name="FirstName"></var>
   <var name="LastName"></var>
</data>
</Address>

I need to know a couple of things.

1. how can I write xpath that loops through elements of Info/Address
2. How can I select the name of the element from the input xml and represent it as value in the output xml?
3. how can I use string functions to produce <data name="BillingAddressInfo">? [concat address+info]

Any help is appreciated.

regards
Vrinda

[Roseanne Zhang]

Do you really want this line? It seems not making sense.

<type>BillingAddress</type>

[Roseanne Zhang]

Does <FirstName><LastName> have value in-between, empty elements do not make sense either.

[Roseanne Zhang]

BillingAddress/ShippingAddress are names???

[Vrinda Werdel]

Do you really want this line? It seems not making sense.

<type>BillingAddress</type>

Yes. This is needed as it is part of the requirement.

Does <FirstName><LastName> have value in-between, empty elements do not make sense either.

The <FirstName><LastName> elements may or may not have values.

BillingAddress/ShippingAddress are names???

They are element names. they contain other child elements.

thanks
Vrinda

[Roseanne Zhang]

Then, how about:

<type>ShippingAddress</type>

[Vrinda Werdel]

that's how the output should look like in the output XML.

Vrinda

[Paul Clapham]

Originally posted by Vrinda Werdel:
1. how can I write xpath that loops through elements of Info/Address

Well, the XPath expression "Info/Address" does give you a list of the elements you want. But it doesn't "loop through" them, it just is a list. Actually you should stop thinking of looping through things in XSLT and XPath, as that will lead you to write ugly code. It's better to accept XSLT for the functional language that it is and not try to write procedural code as if it were strangely-formatted Java. In other words, write templates that transform particular elements in the way you want them transformed.

You should be able to find examples of that style of XSLT programming in any basic book or tutorial about the language.

2. How can I select the name of the element from the input xml and represent it as value in the output xml?

That would be the name() or local-name() XPath function. And you can use an xsl-element element to create an element with a name that you don't know, like this:

<xsl:element name="{name()}">

However in your case you already know the name of the element you want to create, so I would simply write an ordinary XML element with that name.

3. how can I use string functions to produce <data name="BillingAddressInfo">? [concat address+info]

Yes, there's a concat() function in XPath.

But all these questions you are asking suggest to me that you have never read a book or even a tutorial about XSLT. You won't find it easy to learn a programming language by asking questions on a forum. I suggest you should get yourself a reference and start reading.

[Roseanne Zhang]

Here is an answer based on your question, but not exact.

It will give you some help.

http://bobcat.webappcabaret.net/javachina/faq/xslt_01.htm#xslt_Q11
[ July 24, 2007: Message edited by: Roseanne Zhang ]