// behavior tip-- xsl:value-of vs. xsl:apply-templates

["Yadda Yadda" <spit00n at hotmail dot com>]

Hi,

Just a note about some behavior that I've been struggling to understand all 
day, and just figured out. It's really elementary, but perhaps if this tip 
is archived it'll save some other newbie some time. :)

---------------------------
The // operator matches all the descendant nodes of an element.

However, when used in the context of an xsl:value-of element, it returns the 
string value of only the **first** matched element.

Take the following example:

<Chapter>
  <DocInfo>
    <Title>DocInfo Title</Title>
  </DocInfo>
  <Title>Chapter Title</Title>
</Chapter>

Suppose you want to apply the following element to that snippet:

<xsl:value-of select="//Title">

This would return the text "DocInfo Title" only.

Hope this helps somebody, 'cause it's been biting my heels all day.

John Nolt
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