Mark Wilson I am the creator of TopXML. I am available for international and local (Australia) contracts. I am a Solution Architect/Business Analyst. I have worked in IT in several countries (NZ, Australia, South Africa, UK) building and training teams for government and very large non-governmental organizations. I am ex-Microsoft Consulting Services. I wrote the first book on Microsoft XML published in 2000 called XML Programming with VB and ASP. Most recently I have been building tools for the SEO industry. Ask me for a 37 point SEO health-checkup for your website.
First posted :
03/13/2008
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Learn XSL & XPath Tutorial
Introduction
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Using XPath Predicates Find out more about XPath numbers, strings, matching and operators.
Creating XPath Predicates Predicates are true XPath expressions, and XPath is much more of a true language than patterns; for example, XPath expressions can return not only lists of nodes, but also Boolean, string, and numeric values. XPath expressions are not restricted to working with the current node or child nodes, because you can work with parent nodes, ancestor nodes, and more.
XPath Pattern Examples The best way to understand patterns is by example and this excerpt is full of examples!
Formally Defining XPath Match Patterns The syntax for patterns is a subset of the syntax for [XPath] expressions. In particular, location paths that meet certain restrictions can be used as patterns. An expression that is also a pattern always evaluates to an object of type node-set. A node matches a pattern if the node is a member of the result of evaluating the pattern as an expression with respect to some possible context; the possible contexts are those whose context node is the node being matched or one of its ancestors.
What are XPath Match Patterns? Match patterns are a subset of XPath expressions that is, all match patterns are valid XPath expressions, but not all XPath expressions are match patterns. The only XPath expressions that can be patterns are those that return a node set (even a node set with one node) and that use paths that specify only child or attribute nodes.
How to format dates, using a schema This is a fully functional download, where Emilio demonstrates how to use the formatDate function in XSL.
Whitespace preserving and stripping Whitespace stripping in MSXML2 was very unpredictable and hard to influence. Teun explains how to deal with whitespace issues.
Using XSLT to produce SVG (3) Using MarrowSoft Xselerator to build XSLT to produce a simple pie chart from XML data.
Using XSLT to produce SVG (2) Using MarrowSoft Xselerator to build XSLT to produce a simple stacked bar graph from XML data.
XSLT/XPath Tutorial A 28 page XSLT tutorial. It includes zipped example code and worksheets that lead you through the basics of XSLT development. It covers all the basics right up to advanced concepts.
XML in a Nutshell - XPath Excellent introduction to all things XPath, including number and string functions, axis, expressions, descendants, comment( ), text( ), and processing-instruction( ) location steps and more!
XPath and namespaces in your XSLT How do you handle working with your XML when there are namespaces in it? How do your call XPath statements in your XSLT to match your data? Mark Bosley, our resident Regex and XSLT expert had the same problems when he faced XML coming from another supplier with namespaces. In this article he explains how to solve these problems.
A VB string library based on XPath Functions Now with the XPath string functions, we have yet another set of string functions to deal with. In order to make things easier on me, I have created a module with 8 functions in VB taken from XPath. Read more about this download, XPath and Regex here!
Kurt Cagle's 60 Webtricks Kurt has combined 60 of his web tricks that he has written for various publications. These include: Embed XSLT in Behaviors, Use @Import to load stylesheets and various other tips. Note: These are not all XSLT tips, but varies from scripting, the DOM, etc.
XSLT - Creating Links and Cross-References If you're creating a web site, publishing a book, or creating an XML transaction, chances are many pieces of information will refer to other things. This chapter discusses a several ways to link XML elements. It reviews three techniques: Using the id() function, doing more advanced linking with the key() function, and generating links in unstructured documents
The Functional Programming Language XSLT - A proof through examples Until now it was believed that although XSLT is based on functional programming ideas, it is not as yet a full functional programming language, as it lacks the ability to treat functions as a first-class data type. Based on numerous concrete XSLT implementations of some of the major functional programming design patterns, including some of the most generic list-processing and tree-processing functions, this article provides ample proof that XSLT is in fact a full-pledged functional programming language. The presented code forms the base of a first XSLT functional programming library. It is emphasized that a decision to include higher-order functions support in XPath 2.0 will make functional programming in XSLT even more straightforward, natural and convenient.
XSLT and ASP.NET What exactly is XSLT useful for and why would you, as an ASP.NET developer, want to learn about it? The answer boils down to the capability of XSLT to transform XML documents into different formats that can be consumed by a variety of devices, including browsers, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), Web-enabled phones, and other devices that will appear in the near future.
XSLT Quickly XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) is a language that lets you convert XML documents into other XML documents, into HTML documents, or into almost anything you like. When you specify a series of XSLT instructions for converting a class of XML documents, you do it by creating a "stylesheet", an XML document that uses specialized XML elements and attributes that describe that changes you want made. The definition of these specialized elements and attributes comes from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the same standards body responsible for XML and HTML.
VoiceXML with XSLT This chapter examines the use of the Extensible Stylesheet Language for Transformations (XSLT) as a tool for the generation of VoiceXML. I intend to illustrate a complete, end-to-end example of implementing a voice interface for a client-server database via XML and XSL. The case study will demonstrate the power of XSL for simultaneously delivering multiple interfaces to the same data by developing HTML and WML front-ends also.
Building Oracle XML Applications: Transforming XML with XSLT We have seen three primary ways to use the Oracle XSLT processor. We've used the oraxsl command-line utility, the XSLT processor's programmatic API, and the instruction to associate a stylesheet with an XSQL page. In this chapter, we begin exploring the full power of the XSLT language to understand how best to use it in our applications.
Java and XSLT: XSLT Processing with Java Since many of the XSLT processors are written in Java, they can be directly invoked from a Java application or servlet. Embedding the processor into a Java application is generally a matter of including one or two JAR files on the CLASSPATH and then invoking the appropriate methods. This chapter shows how to do this, along with a whole host of other programming techniques.
XSLT Stylesheets, find over 100 example XSLT stylesheets Over 100 examples of XML and XSLT stylesheets, arranged into the following categories: Data Formatting with XSLT (2 examples), EXSLT (19 examples), Filtering Sorting with XSLT (9 examples), Grouping with XSLT (4 examples), HTML with XSLT (13 examples), Multiple Data Sources with XSLT (7 examples), Multi-Lingual with XSLT (4 examples), Non XML using XSLT (2 examples), One To Many using XSLT (4 examples), One To Many To Many using XSLT (4 examples), Recursion with XSLT (10 examples), Table Formatting with XSLT (3 examples), XML to XML using XSLT (7 examples), XSLT Elements (23 examples) - all with demonstrations and downloadable zips using each of the elements of XSLT!
Dynamic functions: Functional combination, partial application and lambda expressions This article is a follow-up from the recent publication "The Functional Programming Language XSLT". Provided here is the answer to a FAQ about functional programming in XSLT: Can functions be created dynamically during run-time and what are some general ways to achieve this?. Using the XSLT functional programming library FXSL, examples are given of performing functional composition, currying and partial application of functions, as well as of dynamically creating a function, which corresponds to a lambda expression.
XML Tools for Information Appliances This chapter focuses on Java, XML, and XSLT technologies for lightweight clients. Lightweight clients are defined as those with more limited resources than traditional clients. The term information appliance is used interchangeably with lightweight client. The obvious devices that fit within this category are personal digital assistants (PDAs), mobile phones, and pagers. However, many other embedded devices and consumer electronics may fit into this category: television set-top boxes, global positioning system (GPS) receivers, thermostats, watches, digital cameras, even Internet appliances such as kitchen stoves, refrigerators, and radios. Non-consumer-oriented devices also can fit in this category, such as industrial automation and control sensors.
Database Web Application Wizard Dimitriy gives an explanation on how using the DOM, VB and XSLT you could generate ASP code to handle all the CRUD (create, read, update and delete) methods. This code for these operations will be created automatically, so a programmer can concentrate on implementing specific business rules.
XSLT Transformations Extensible Styles Language (XSL). XSLT has two parts: a transformation language, and a formatting language.
These two parts of XSLT can function quite independently, and you can think of XSLT as two languages, not one. In practice, you often transform a document before formatting it. In fact, that is one of the main reasons that W3C supports XSLT as the first stage in the formatting process, as we'll see in the next chapter. This chapter covers the transformation language.
The Understanding XSL Game Play this free online Flash-based beginners game to learn about the basics of XSL.
Schema based programming (AKA XML for the Criminally Insane) Schema based programming is a very new (and untested) approach to programming. This session explores the synergy of joining the old and the new through an application (SBPNews) built with the Model-View-Controller framework and implemented with schema based programming techniques.
Using XSLT to Transform XML The Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformation (XSLT) is an event-driven, rules-based programming language, expressed in XML, that lets you create efficient programs to transform one XML structure to another. In this session, you learn about the Microsoft implementation of the important W3C XSLT and XPath standards, and how you can transform your XML documents from one form to another. Keeping your document data as persistent XML objects allows you to deliver effective, personalized Web experiences. By using a combination of XML database technology, XSLT, and intelligent middle-tier processes, you can give your users just the amount of information they need at the time they heed it. In this session, you will learn about creating persistent XML content, and see a case study of a site that uses XML, XSLT, and middle-tier applications to provide a sticky, content-rich Web site.
Using XML Technologies to Build eBusiness Applications XML technologies are changing the entire architecture of business application development. This session covers Microsoft's XML strategy and current and future products that can be used to address your development challenges. Presenters show a tangible business application that uses MSXML (DOM, Schema, XSLT), SOAP SDK, BizTalk and SQL Server XML features. The goal for this session is to provide you with a clear road map of where and how Microsoft XML technologies can help your development efforts.
Using XML in Business Applications This session builds on the lessons learned in the "Using the Microsoft XML Engine with Visual Studio" session. Learn how to use XML to send streams of data to a browser, how to use XML to store data in SQL Server and retrieve it, and how to use XML with ADO. The session covers using XML as a data conversion technology between different systems. In addition, the session discusses XML topics, such as properly formed XML and how XSLT figures into things.
Create Document/View Applications with XML You should be very familiar with the document/view model - a sort of milestone for MFC applications. Today, you can extend the same pattern to Web applications using XML and XSL. Once you installed Internet Explorer 5.0, a slightly enhanced version of the MFC CHtmlView class will provide you with a framework for writing MFC applications that use XML to describe the content and DHTML to render it. The power of XSLT makes possible to change view on the fly for the joy of users.
Erich demonstrates a solution on to use recursive programming in XSLT when wanting to do case conversions, including proper case.
The article also demonstrates using the element when wanting to call functions in XSLT
Doing XPath and XSLT with Style! This manuscript is an abridged version of a chapter from the Wrox Press book Visual Basic 6 XML. This is chapter 4 which looks at XPath for querying a document, XSLT for transforming a document, styling a document with Cascading Style Sheets and styling a document by using transformations (XSLT) .
ADO, XML and XSLT - Populating Tables and Combo boxes This article leads you through understanding the structure of the XML returned from ADO recordset. Using the original version of the MS XSLT transformation, Michele explains how to generically populate a table and combo boxes, from the ADO XML stream, using XSL.
Introduction to XSLT This abridged manuscript from the XSLT Programmer's reference explains what XSLT is, how it can be used and a introduction example of how to use XSLT, plus more.
Data driven XSL This manuscript is an abridged version of a chapter from the Wrox Press book Professional ASP XML. It is based on a case study that looks at Data-Driven XSL.
Teun details the specs of the eXtensible Stylesheet Language: Transformation (XSLT) reference, showing the history of the implemations with the MSXML dll.
The reference is split up into: Elements, Functions, Inherited XPath Functions and Type
Creating Dynamic Web pages with XML/ASP and XML format This article is also a good example of working with server side asp scripting for trasforming XML and XSLT to HTML, plus it has examples of using the MSXML DOMDocument methods.
Kurt's graphical presentation/article is a must for all wanting to learn the basics through to the advance features of XSL
It includes: Parts of XSL, working with Node sets, Expressions etc, plus loads of examples.
9 page PHP XSLT Functions reference PHP provides this extension which contains processor independent functions for XSLT transformation. This 9 page reference covers the usage of these PHP classes.
For code
examples and products to do with XSLT, visit the 