Convert encoded string

If you just want to *display* it, like an image,

document.getElementById('YOUR_DIV_ID_HERE').innerHTML = text;

will work, where "text" is your string.

If you want the browser to *interpret* it, then

document.getElementById('YOUR_DIV_ID_HERE').innerHTML = text.replace(/\>/gi, '>').replace(/\</gi, '<');

is one solution.

It sounds to me like you don't actually want to use disable-output-escaping="yes".  Without it, you should get:

If I use disable-output-escaping="yes", I get this in the browser....

<P>some text:</P><P> </P><P>more text item1>item2>item3> something & something</P>

...with the html being....

<P>some text:</P><P> </P><P>more text
            item1&amp;gt;item2&amp;gt;item3&amp;gt; something&amp; something</P>

If I use disable-output-escaping="no", I see in the browser what I posted in the code snippet above.

Bugger. The HTML with disable-output-escaping="yes" is as below.

<P>some text:</P><P> </P><P>more text item1>item2>item3> something & something</P>
 
The RAW data looks like this....
 
<P>some text:</P><P> </P><P>more text item1>item2>item3> something & something</P>
 
...which as you can see is the same. But the HTML should look like this....
 
<P>some text:</P><P> </P><P>more text item1<item2<item3< something &amp; something</P>

                                              

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Hi webtubbs, could you please attach the source files (xml/xsl/etc...) that is generating this output?  Preferably, just the parts that are involved?  I'm sort of guessing at what the problem might be at this point.  Thanks

No, unfortunately I can not. The associated data is outlined in my post above. I need ....

<P>some text:</P><P> </P><P>more text item1>item2>item3> something & something</P>
 
...to look like this in the HTML....
 
<P>some text:</P><P> </P><P>more text item1<item2<item3< something &amp; something</P>

                                              

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Hmm... assuming we've got all the escaping issues with experts-exchange worked out =)... I think I see the problem now--the data is already escaped for HTML once.  disable-output-escaping="yes" keeps the problem from getting worse, but isn't the complete solution.  Depending on the XSLT processor you are using, JavaScript can provide the solution.  For the MSXSL processor, you'd need something like the code below.  Other XSL processors can use the same JS, but obviously a different way to include the script.

You may need to play around with the "node.item(0).text" part depending on what you are passing into the function.

Hope this helps.

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
  xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt"
  xmlns:js="http://localhost/mynamespace">
 
  <xsl:output method="text" encoding="US-ASCII"/>
 
  <msxsl:script implements-prefix="js"><![CDATA[
    function unescapeHtml(node) {
      var str = node.item(0).text;
      return str.replace(/&gt;/g, '<').
                 replace(/&lt;/g, '>').
                 replace(/&amp;/g, '&');
    }
  ]]></msxsl:script>
 
  ...
 
  <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes"
                select="js:unscapeHtml(//some[@xpath]/expr)"/>
  ...
 
</xsl:stylesheet>

                                              

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Doh!  And it would help to get the spelling consistent on "unescapeHtml".  Obviously, I haven't tested the example snippet above, but I have very similar code working.

When I try that I get this error....

    The URI http://localhost/mynamespace does not identify an external Java class

How do I overcome this? Sorry if I'm being a little daft - I only started XSLT yesterday.

Wayne

What XSLT processor are you using?

How do I find that out?

What are you using to do the XSLT conversion?  What commands are you running or UI are you using?

I'm using EditiX to create the XSLT file, if that helps.

So what generates the error message "The URI http://localhost/mynamespace does not identify an external Java class"?

The "Java" part makes me think Xalan, in which case, this guide will help:
http://xml.apache.org/xalan-j/extensions.html#ex-basic

You've lost me. The error is generated by EditiX.