Re: [xsl] combining 2 different XML files within the same XSLT

[Wendell Piez <wapiez at mulberrytech dot com>]

Todd,

There are any number of approaches to do what you're describing: I'll just 
describe a simple quick-and-dirty "forced merge".

You name the two files in a separate config or "driver" file:

<files>
  <file>file1.xml</file>
  <file>file2.xml</file>
</files>

This will be the source file for your transformation, in which you do 
something like:

<xsl:variable name="mergedset" select="document(/files/file)"/>

<xsl:template match="/">
  <!-- matching on the root node of your config file -->
  <apps>
    <xsl:apply-templates select="$mergedset" mode="process"/>
    <!-- this mode just bumps you off the default so you can match the roots
         of your merging documents separately -->
    <!-- you need to wrap them in your <apps> here since there'll be more than
         one root and you don't want more than one <apps> -->
  </apps>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="/" mode="process">
  <!-- this template will now match your merging documents' roots -->
  <xsl:apply-templates select="//date">
  <!-- since your criterion is your date, we'll go straight to them -->
    <xsl:sort type="number"/>
    <!-- let's sort em while we're at it -->
  </xsl:apply-templates>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="date">
  <xsl:if test="
   ...do your test against your criterion of what to include;
                it could of course be parameterized
   ">
...
   this is where the action will happen: you'll probably go up a step
   (for-each select=".."), but there's lots of ways to skin this cat:
   the point is you'll build your <app> here and fill it with whatever
   you've got
...
  </xsl:if>
</xsl:template>

> I am trying to create a NEW list of XML nodes from either file that meet a
> certain criteria.
BTW (small point), as an English teacher I can't help but urge you to 
understand that "criteria" is a plural noun in our fine language (the word 
comes from Greek), and what you mean to say is "nodes from either file that 
meet a certain criterion"... :->

Note also that what I'm outlining is a *separate pass* (a pre-process) to 
create a list of <app> elements, not itself suitable for display. Handle 
that either in a second pass, or combine the logic (this is not prima facie 
impossible) to create your output format with this merging logic, skipping 
the apps/app stage altogether.

I hope that helps!

Cheers,
Wendell

At 12:32 PM 8/27/2002, you wrote:
> I have 2 different XML files that have different node structure, but similar
> information (both contain date related information)
>
> I am trying to create a NEW list of XML nodes from either file that meet a
> certain criteria.
>
> EXAMPLE FILE 1
>
> <events>
> <event id='1'>
>     <date>20020812</date>
>     <name>event1</name>
>     <fullname>big time event</fullname>
> </event>
> <event id='2'>
>     <date>20020813</date>
>     <name>event2</name>
>     <fullname>mid time event</fullname>
> </event>
> <event id='3'>
>     <date>20020815</date>
>     <name>event3</name>
>     <fullname>small time event</fullname>
> </event>
> </events>
>
> EXAMPLE FILE 2
> <games>
> <game id='1'>
>     <date>20020813</date>
>     <name>game1</name>
>     <opponent>team b</opponent>
>     <time>14:00</time>
> </game>
> <game id='2'>
>     <date>20020818</date>
>     <name>game2</name>
>     <opponent>team c</opponent>
>     <time>12:00</time>
> </game>
> </games>
>
> is there a way with a single XSLT file to get all the nodes from each file
> that meet a certain criteria and put their information into a new XML node
> structure?
>
> EXAMPLE COMBINED CREATED NODELIST (criteria: date between 20020814 and
> 20020821)
>
> <apps>
> <app type="event" id="3">
>     <date>20020815</date>
>     <name>event3</name>
>     <fullname>small time event</fullname>
> </app>
> <app type="game" id="2">
>     <date>20020818</date>
>     <name>game2</name>
>     <opponent>team c</opponent>
>     <time>12:00</time>
> </app>
> </apps>
>
> this nodelist could then be sorted and displayed (the display XSLT routine
> would handle the different @type nodes [game / event] so that even though
> there would be different information (ie. fullname, opponent, time) the
> combined list could be sorted and displayed
>
> but I can't figure how to create this COMBINED LIST within the XSLT file
>
> - Todd
>
>  XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list

======================================================================
Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@mulberrytech.com
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
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Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
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