Link to home
Start Free TrialLog in
Avatar of mhebert
mhebertFlag for Canada

asked on

XSLT 1.0 - <msxsl:script>

In my XSLT 1.0 file, I'm trying to extract a value of a child element for placing it into the HTML <script> tag for initializing a javascript array(see code below). In WD-XSL,the "." or "this" value seems to be a node, and it's working with <xsl:eval>. In XSLT 1.0, can someone tells me what is the value of the "what" parameter in the <msxml:script> getNbOfRules(what) function? I always got errors on this function... What is different here between the old XSL call and the XSLT new one?

======================================

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
     xmlns:extra="urn:extra-functions"
     xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt">
<xsl:output method="html" doctype-public="-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"/>

<xsl:template match="/">

<html>
<head><title>Rules</title></head>
     
<script language="javascript">
     var status = new Array(<xsl:value-of select="extra:getNbOfRules(.)"/>);
</script>

...

</xsl:template>

<msxsl:script implements-prefix="extra" language="javascript">

<![CDATA[
function getNbOfRules(what)
{
var i = 50;
var modules = what.selectSingleNode("MODULES/NBOFRULES");
i = modules.nodeTypedValue;
         
return i;
}
]]>    
</msxsl:script>
</xsl:stylesheet>
Avatar of b1xml2
b1xml2
Flag of Australia image

Firstly, there has been considerable changes in coding technique between XSL and XSLT. In the old XSL, we had to use the xsl:eval and xsl:script many times to do complicated stuff. In those days,we had to make direct calls to the XSLRuntime Engine such as <xsl:eval>this.nodeName</xsl:eval> which has since been replaced with the standard XSLT function name() as in
<xsl:value-of select="name()" />

Secondly, in the process of porting over code from the old style to the new style, you must abandon the method of simple line by line porting! You have to re-engineer the code for XSLT if you have been using less than efficient calls to xsl:script to perform complicate actions.

Thirdly, what is the root (not the same as the documentElement) and because the script is in the CDATA, you cannot do anything.

Fourthly, WHAT (pun intended!) are you intending to do?

Regards,

Brandon Driesen
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of b1xml2
b1xml2
Flag of Australia image

Link to home
membership
This solution is only available to members.
To access this solution, you must be a member of Experts Exchange.
Start Free Trial
You only ever use msxsl:script if there is no other way.
Avatar of mhebert

ASKER

Thanks..I will work on that... ;-)
Avatar of mhebert

ASKER

Thanks..I will work on that... ;-)
Avatar of mhebert

ASKER

In XSLT, you cannot pass a node in parameter to a <msxsl:script> function? "." isn't a node?
it depends on the context
<xsl:template match="/">

. refers to root and not documentElement
child::node()[1] refers to the documentElement

</xsl:template>
Avatar of mhebert

ASKER

In this case, where I'm not in the root, and I want to keep a value in a javascript variable(an example, it can be an integer..):
============================================
<xsl:for-each select="MODULE">
  <xsl:value-of select="extra:setModulePath(.)"/>
...
</xsl:for-each>
...
<msxsl:script implements-prefix="extra" language="javascript">
<![CDATA[
var modulePath = "";
               
function setModulePath(node)
{
var filePathNode = node.selectSingleNode("FILEPATH");
modulePath = filePathNode.nodeTypedValue + "html\\";
}
...
===========================================
By what I need to replace the "." in the call to let work properly the javascript function setModulePath()? The "." will be the current <MODULE> node.
please note what I have said earlier.

>>
Thirdly, what is the root (not the same as the documentElement) and because the script is in the CDATA,
you cannot do anything.


WRONG!
>>
<msxsl:script implements-prefix="extra" language="javascript">
<![CDATA[
var modulePath = "";
             
function setModulePath(node)
{
var filePathNode = node.selectSingleNode("FILEPATH");
modulePath = filePathNode.nodeTypedValue + "html\\";
}
<<

RIGHT!
<msxsl:script implements-prefix="extra" language="javascript">
var modulePath = "";
             
function setModulePath(node)
{
var filePathNode = node.selectSingleNode("FILEPATH");
modulePath = filePathNode.nodeTypedValue + "html\\";
}

</msxsl:script>
you place the CDATA around any code which has the reserved XML characters of >,< &

and secondly, this is really not the way you code with XSLT *sigh*, you have to forget about the OLD way.

Next, you MUST return something in your function or it WON'T work, even if you do not intend to use the return value!!!

If you want to hold on to old tricks, you will bang yourself against the wall all the time.



Avatar of jedelman
jedelman

I've been reading this post and I'm not sure if I completely follow - so can I call a javascript function in my xsl document or not?  

<msxsl:script implements-prefix="extra" language="javascript">

I understand that this line shouldn't be used.  But if I have a javascript written in my document, how can I call that function from elsewhere in my document?