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Transform xml address as CDATA

I am using xsl to transform an xml file. It contains an address. This address could contain unsuitable characters eg &. I want to output the address within CDATA.
e.g <![CDATA[Smith & Co]]>
How can Ii code this in the xsl? Obviously the coding below does not process anything within the CDATA.

<addr>
                <xsl:text><![CDATA[</xsl:text>
                <xsl:value-of select="AR/AR_Addr1"/>
                <xsl:text>]]></xsl:text>
              </addr>

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grepll

First, you don't have to bother whether there is CDATA section in the output, the & and other special chars will be always escaped correctly in the output file.

If you really want to have a CDATA section there, use attribute cdata-section-elements of xsl:output. See example below. If you need more elements generated using CDATA, put them there separeted by spaces, e.g. cdata-section-elements="addr email"

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method="xml" cdata-section-elements="addr"/>

<xsl:template match="/">
	<addr>
		<xsl:text>Smith &amp; Co</xsl:text>
	</addr>
</xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

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Nigel Keith-Walker

ASKER

So that I should not have to use CDATA to output addres information, because it will automatically replace unusual characters wuth &lt etc.

The alternative would be to set up matches for the adress line. Since I have a few lines, would this mean individual matches?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method="xml" cdata-section-elements="addr1" "addr2" "addr3"/>

<xsl:template match="/">
	<addr1>
		<xsl:value-of select="AR/AR_Addr1"/>
	</addr1>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="/">
	<addr2>
		<xsl:value-of select="AR/AR_Addr2"/>
	</addr2>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="/">
	<addr3>
		<xsl:value-of select="AR/AR_Addr3"/>
	</addr3>
</xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

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ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

grepll

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Nigel Keith-Walker

ASKER

Apologies - I thought that I had acceppted this a few days ago - but must have failed to submit/save the response. I have removed the CDATA and the & is translated to &amp.

grepll

Glad to hear that you solved it.

While looking at my previous post, one note for the record: Any XML document must have exactly one root tag, I forgot to put it in the output document. Apology for the mistake.

<xsl:template match="/">
    <addresses>
        <addr1>
            <xsl:value-of select="AR/AR_Addr1"/>
        </addr1>
        <addr2>
            <xsl:value-of select="AR/AR_Addr2"/>
        </addr2>
        <addr3>
            <xsl:value-of select="AR/AR_Addr3"/>
        </addr3>
    </addresses>
</xsl:template>

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