RE: [xsl] behavior of xsl:value-of with empty string

["Michael Kay" <michael dot h dot kay at ntlworld dot com>]

> The XSLT spec says that the xsl:value-of element creates a 
> text node in the result tree, but if the string is empty, no 
> text node should be created.  I have a situation where a rtf 
> is initially bound to a variable, then converted to a nodeset 
> using an extension function and I am, thus, able to detect 
> the processor's (lack of) adherence to this rule.  And I 
> believe msxml may not be following the spec.  Can someone, 
> please, confirm my suspicion or correct my misunderstanding?

The specification of msxsl:node-set() is entirely under Microsoft's
control.

Michael Kay
Software AG
home: Michael.H.Kay@ntlworld.com
work: Michael.Kay@softwareag.com 

> 
> If I run the stylesheet below, I get the following output:
> 
> test id=1: count(child::node())=1, expected 0
> test id=2: count(child::node())=0, expected 0
> test id=3: count(child::node())=3, expected 1
> test id=4: count(child::node())=2, expected 1
> test id=5: count(child::node())=2, expected 1
> test id=6: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=7: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=8: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=9: count(child::node())=3, expected 2
> 
> whereas I had expected to get:
> 
> test id=1: count(child::node())=0, expected 0
> test id=2: count(child::node())=0, expected 0
> test id=3: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=4: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=5: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=6: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=7: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=8: count(child::node())=1, expected 1
> test id=9: count(child::node())=2, expected 2
> 
> Lars
> 
> 
> <?xml version="1.0"?>
> <xsl:transform version="1.0"
>    xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform";
>    xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt"
>    exclude-result-prefixes="msxsl">
> 
> <xsl:template match="/">
>    <xsl:variable name="tests-rtf">
>       <tests>
>          <test id="1" children="0"><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
>          <test id="2" children="0"><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
>          <test id="3" children="1"><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><element/><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
> 
>          <test id="4" children="1"><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><element/><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
>          <test id="5" children="1"><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><element/><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
>          <test id="6" children="1"><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><element/><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
> 
>          <test id="7" children="1"><xsl:value-of 
> select="'1'"/><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
>          <test id="8" children="1"><xsl:value-of 
> select="'1'"/><xsl:value-of select="''"/><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/></test>
>          <test id="9" children="2"><xsl:value-of 
> select="'1'"/><xsl:value-of 
> select="''"/><element/><xsl:value-of select="''"/></test>
>       </tests>
>    </xsl:variable>
> 
>    <xsl:for-each select="msxsl:node-set($tests-rtf)/tests/test">
>       test id=<xsl:value-of select="@id"/>: 
> count(child::node())=<xsl:value-of 
> select="count(child::node())"/>, expected <xsl:value-of 
> select="@children"/><br/>
>    </xsl:for-each>
> </xsl:template>
> 
> 
> 
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> 


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