XSL nesting in ASP.NET

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March 5th, 2011, 10:30 PM

fardadja

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XSL nesting in ASP.NET

Hi everyone,

I'm fairly new to XSL. This is the situation
I have an XML file with data in it laid out as:

<root>

<element>

<leaf1>
data
</leaf1>

<leaf2>
data
</leaf2

<element2>
data data data
data data data

<leaf3>
</leaf3>
data data data
data data data
</element2>
</element>

</root>

This is what I'm trying to achieve:
I'm using an XSL file to 'parse' this XML in ASP.NET. The XSL transforms the document as:

<root>

<element leaf1="" leaf2="" element3="">
</element>

</root>

so I can use it in XMLDataSource.

I've used this before with no problem. Even now I can show all the data with no problem. The dilemma is I need leaf3 to be imported into ASP.NET as it is. I mean element2 should show as:

data
<leaf3>
info
</leaf3>
data

NOT as:

data
info
data

Unfortunately, I am getting the latter. So as you've probably guessed it by now, the data in leaf3 (element2 contains more of this type of node) is a kind of mark up language which I want to process in ASP.NET. So I need that bit of the document imported as it is.

I'd very much like this imported into XMLDataSource control specifically for various reasons.

I've tried playing around with various XSL commands but have failed so far. I guess there should be a simple solution to this (possibly to do with copy-of or copy) but I don't know how to do it. There is no point in me posting any code I guess. But please let me know if you want me to.

I would very much appreciate any help on this.

Thank you very much!
F

March 6th, 2011, 01:14 AM

xml-profi

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Join Date: Apr 2009

Posts: 190

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which xml do you mean

Code:

<root>

	<element>

		<leaf1>data</leaf1>

		<leaf2>data</leaf2>

		<element2>data data data
                                  data data data
			<leaf3>
			</leaf3>
                                  data data data
                                  data data data
                </element2>
	</element>
</root>

where is element3

Code:

<element leaf1="" leaf2="" element3="">
</element>

i can not see it

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March 6th, 2011, 01:25 AM

fardadja

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Join Date: Jul 2004

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Quote:

Originally Posted by xml-profi

which xml do you mean

Code:

<root>

	<element>

		<leaf1>data</leaf1>

		<leaf2>data</leaf2>

		<element2>data data data
                                  data data data
			<leaf3>
			</leaf3>
                                  data data data
                                  data data data
                </element2>
	</element>
</root>

where is element3

Code:

<element leaf1="" leaf2="" element3="">
</element>

i can not see it

oops, that was a typo. It should have been element2.

So I want this as output:

<element leaf1="whatever" leaf2="whatever" element2="data<leaf3>data</leaf3>data">
</element>

So you see, I want leaf3 to preserve its annotations even tho it appears as an attribute value of element.

By the way, leaf3 won't have any attributes of its own but may have sub-elements. But I guess if we can manage the problem with leaf3 itself, it should be trivial (or maybe no action required at all?) to keep its children in the attribute value. Am I correct in assuming this? So for instance:

<element leaf1="whatever" leaf2="whatever" element2="data<leaf3>data<leaf4>data<leaf5>data</leaf5>data</leaf4>data</leaf3>data">
</element>

Thank you for your reply by the way

March 6th, 2011, 03:57 AM

xml-profi

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xml to test

Code:


<root>

	<element>

		<leaf1>datal1</leaf1>

		<leaf2>datal2</leaf2>

		<element2>datav datav datav
datav datav datav

			<leaf>33333</leaf>datan datan datan
datan datan datan <leaf>55555</leaf>aa ss aa<leaf5>55555</leaf5>wert wert</element2>
	</element>
</root>

Code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
	<xsl:template match="/">
		<root>
			<xsl:apply-templates select="root"/>
		</root>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="root">
		<xsl:apply-templates select="element"/>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="element">
		<xsl:variable name="e2">
			<xsl:apply-templates select="child::element2"/>
		</xsl:variable>
		<xsl:element name="element">
			<xsl:attribute name="leaf1">
				<xsl:value-of select="leaf1"/>
			</xsl:attribute>
			<xsl:attribute name="leaf2">
				<xsl:value-of select="leaf2"/>
			</xsl:attribute>
			<xsl:attribute name="element2">
				<xsl:value-of select="normalize-space($e2)"/>
			</xsl:attribute>
		</xsl:element>
	</xsl:template>
        <!-- discripted the node which found in element2 -->
	<xsl:template match="leaf3">
		<xsl:text> <leaf3></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf3> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="leaf5">
		<xsl:text> <leaf5></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf5> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="leaf">
		<xsl:text> <leaf></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="leaf1">
		<xsl:text> <leaf1></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf1> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="leaf2">
		<xsl:text> <leaf2></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf2> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

result

Code:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
<root>
  <element leaf1="datal1" leaf2="datal2" element2="datav datav datav datav datav datav <leaf>33333</leaf> datan datan datan datan datan datan <leaf>55555</leaf> aa ss aa <leaf5>55555</leaf5> wert wert"/>
</root>

Comments on this post

fardadja agrees: Worked like a charm. Very fast and accurate response. Thanks!

March 6th, 2011, 12:32 PM

fardadja

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Join Date: Jul 2004

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Thank you so much!!! I had been wrestling with the problem for a while.

However I'm not sure why I couldn't use the last part of your code as you wrote it:

Code:

<!-- discripted the node which found in element2 -->
	<xsl:template match="leaf3">
		<xsl:text> <leaf3></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text><leaf3> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="leaf5">
		<xsl:text> <leaf5></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text><leaf5> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	...

I was getting parsing errors that for instance </text> is expected before <leaf3> (in the third line). I tried using disable-output-escaping as well but all the same.

So I finally ended up using <![CDATA...]]> which works fine.

The rest of the code worls like a charm! Now I have to google-read your code to understand some parts (as I said, I'm new to XSLT).

Thanks to you, my problem is solved now

however I'm trying to understand the logic here so I would appreciate any clarification on the following three points:

First, any idea why I couldn't use <xsl:text>?

Second, let's say for instance leaft3 has some attributes. Is it possible to include its attributes as well so we get this:

<element leaf1="whatever" leaf2="whatever" element2="data<leaf3 id="ID">data</leaf3>data">
</element>

I guess we probably have to use some sort of espace characters here to avoid the conflict between " characters, right?

Third, is there any way not to include the description found in e2? So to omit the data in

in the code? So I guess I'm asking if there is a way to use a variable instead of "leaf3" in:


<xsl:template match="leaf3">
<xsl:text> <leaf3></xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select="."/>
<xsl:text><leaf3> </xsl:text>
</xsl:template>
...
...
We possibly can (I guess) but I'm not very familiar with the syntax of XSLT.

As I said, these three points are extra. You solved my problem however I would like to have some more insight.

Thanks again!

March 7th, 2011, 03:33 AM

xml-profi

Contributing User

Join Date: Apr 2009

Posts: 190

Time spent in forums: 3 Days 7 h 8 m 25 sec
Reputation Power: 48

1

in xml ist not allowed to use in text " ' < > & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charac...codings_in_HTML
so xml authors make the &quote;' < > &

when you use <[CDATA[ ]]> then the Parser saw not the
&quote;' < > &

2

make more template and change the leaf template

Code:

<xsl:template match="leaf">
	<xsl:text> <leaf</xsl:text>
	<xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>
	<xsl:text>></xsl:text>
	<xsl:value-of select="."/>
	<xsl:text></leaf> </xsl:text>		
</xsl:template>


<xsl:template match="@*">
	<xsl:text> </xsl:text><xsl:value-of select="local-name(.)"/><xsl:text>=&quot;</xsl:text><xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text>&quot;</xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>

xml to test

Code:

<root>
	<element>
		<leaf1>datal1</leaf1>
		<leaf2>datal2</leaf2>
		<element2>datav datav datav
datav datav datav
			<leaf id="5" data="data">33333</leaf>datan datan datan
datan datan datan <leaf>55555</leaf>aa ss aa<leaf5>55555</leaf5>wert wert</element2>
	</element>
</root>

Code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output indent="yes" method="xml"/>
	<xsl:template match="/">
		<root>
			<xsl:apply-templates select="root"/>
		</root>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="root">
		<xsl:apply-templates select="element"/>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="element">
		<xsl:variable name="e2">
			<xsl:apply-templates select="child::element2"/>
		</xsl:variable>
		<xsl:element name="element">
			<xsl:attribute name="leaf1">
				<xsl:value-of select="leaf1"/>
			</xsl:attribute>
			<xsl:attribute name="leaf2">
				<xsl:value-of select="leaf2"/>
			</xsl:attribute>
			<xsl:attribute name="element2">
				<xsl:value-of select="normalize-space($e2)"/>
			</xsl:attribute>
		</xsl:element>
	</xsl:template>	
	<xsl:template match="leaf3">
		<xsl:text> <leaf3></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf3> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="leaf5">
		<xsl:text> <leaf5></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf5> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>	
	<xsl:template match="leaf">
		<xsl:text> <leaf</xsl:text>
		<xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>
		<xsl:text>></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf> </xsl:text>		
	</xsl:template>	
	<xsl:template match="leaf1">
		<xsl:text> <leaf1></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf1> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
	<xsl:template match="leaf2">
		<xsl:text> <leaf2></xsl:text>
		<xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text></leaf2> </xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>	
	<xsl:template match="@*">
	<xsl:text> </xsl:text><xsl:value-of select="local-name(.)"/><xsl:text>=&quot;</xsl:text><xsl:value-of select="."/>
		<xsl:text>&quot;</xsl:text>
	</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

result

Code:

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8' ?>
<root>
  <element leaf1="datal1" leaf2="datal2" element2="datav datav datav datav datav datav <leaf id="5" data="data">33333</leaf> datan datan datan datan datan datan <leaf>55555</leaf> aa ss aa <leaf5>55555</leaf5> wert wert"/>
</root>

sorry for my bad english

Last edited by xml-profi : March 7th, 2011 at 03:45 AM.

XSL nesting in ASP.NET

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