This document summarizes an advanced XPath and XSLT training seminar. The seminar covered XPath basics and syntax, customizing XPath expressions for specific tasks like list numbering and checking for attributes, using functions to manipulate strings, and grouping nodes using keys.

1. Advanced XPath and XSLT Reuven Weiser, Suite Solutions

2. Who am I? Background in Computer Science and Education Experience in several computer companies over the past decade Web applications Server- and Client-side applications Early member of the Suite Solutions team On-site and online training seminars PDF and HTML style sheet projects CMS integration Project Management

3. What is Suite Solutions? Our Mission To increase our customers’ profitability by significantly improving the efficiency of their information development and delivery processes. Qualitative Advantage Content Lifecycle Implementation (CLI) is Suite Solutions’ comprehensive approach – from concept to publication – to maximizing the value of your information assets. Our professionals are with you at every phase, determining, recommending and implementing the most cost-effective, flexible and long term solution for your business.

4. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

5. What is XPath? XML Path Language Provides a way to navigate an XML tree, and select and manipulate particular nodes or values Why is it useful? Allows us to create complex interactions between various nodes and values within an XML document Tutorial - http://www.w3schools.com/xpath/ XPath 1.0 - since November 1999 Comprehensive reference - http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath/ XPath 2.0 – since January 2007, DITA-OT 1.5 Comprehensive reference - http://www.w3.org/TR/xpath20/

6. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

7. Basic Structure Basic syntax: axis::node[predicate] For example: child::*[contains(@class,' topic/title ')] Means: “ looking at the children, any node whose class attribute contains the string‘ topic/title ’ ”

8. Basic Example From commons.xsl: <xsl:template match= &quot;*[contains(@class,' topic/fig ')]&quot; > <fo:block xsl:use-attribute-sets= &quot;fig&quot; id= &quot;{@id}&quot; > <xsl:apply-templates select= &quot;*[not(contains(@class,' topic/title '))]&quot; /> <xsl:apply-templates select= &quot;*[contains(@class,' topic/title ')]&quot; /> </fo:block> </xsl:template>

9. XPath Axes

10. XPath Abbreviations Expression Description Nodename Selects named node / Selects from the root node (start of expression) or the current node // Selects any descendant of the root node (start of expression) or the current node . Selects the current node .. Selects the parent of the current node @ Selects attributes * Wildcard – matches any element node() Matches any node of any kind [ ] Brackets that contain a predicate, which is used to find a specific node

11. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

12. List Numbering Goal: A client wants <ol>s in <fig>s to be uppercase-lettered, and sub-<ol>s to be lowercase-lettered Solution: <xsl:choose> <xsl:when test= &quot;ancestor::*[contains(@class, ' topic/fig ')]&quot; > <xsl:number format= &quot;A&quot; /> </xsl:when> <xsl:when test= &quot;count(ancestor::*[contains(@class, ' topic/ol ')]) > 1&quot; > <xsl:number format= &quot;a&quot; /> </xsl:when> <xsl:otherwise> <xsl:number/> </xsl:otherwise> </xsl:choose>

13. List Numbering Technique Note Instead of: <xsl:when test= &quot;ancestor::*[contains(@class, ' topic/fig ')]&quot; > We could say: <xsl:when test= &quot;ancestor::fig&quot; > But: That wouldn’t account for specialization!

14. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

15. Trademarks and current() Goal: A client wants the trademark symbol to appear only on the first usage of each trademark Solution 1: <xsl:variable name= &quot;trademark&quot; select= &quot;@trademark&quot; /> <xsl:if test= &quot;not(preceding::*[contains(@class, ' topic/tm ') and @trademark = $trademark)&quot; > ... </xsl:if> Solution 2 (XPath 2.0): <xsl:if test= &quot;not(preceding::*[contains(@class, ' topic/tm ') and @trademark = current()/@trademark)&quot; > ... </xsl:if>

16. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

17. Custom Functions Goal: A client wants to convert certain text strings to Title Case Solution: <xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl= &quot;http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform&quot; xmlns:ss= &quot;http://www.suite-sol.com&quot; version= &quot;1.1&quot; > <xsl:function name= &quot;ss:first-upper-case&quot; > <xsl:param name= &quot;string&quot; /> <xsl:value-of select= &quot;concat(upper-case(substring($string, 1, 1)), lower-case(substring($string, 2)))&quot; /> </xsl:function>

18. Custom Functions Goal: A client to convert certain text strings to Title Case Solution (continued): <xsl:function name= &quot;ss:title-case&quot; > <xsl:param name= &quot;string&quot; /> <xsl:choose> <xsl:when test= &quot;contains($string, ' ')&quot; > <xsl:value-of select= &quot;concat(ss:first-upper-case(substring-before($string, ' ')), ' ', ss:title-case(substring-after($string), ' '))&quot; /> </xsl:when> <xsl:otherwise> <xsl:value-of select= &quot;ss:first-upper-case($string)&quot; /> </xsl:otherwise> </xsl:choose> </xsl:function> <xsl:value-of select= &quot;ss:title-case($stringToConvert)&quot; />

19. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

20. tokenize() Goal: A client wants to check for one outputclass (“border”) among many Challenge: There may also be a “borderless” outputclass, and the outputclass may appear among others (“border other”, “other border”, “otherA border otherB”) Solution 1: <xsl:if test= &quot;(@outputclass = 'border') or starts-with(@outputclass, 'border ') or contains(@outputclass, ' border ') or (substring(@outputclass, string-length(@outputclass)-6, 7)= ' border')&quot; > <xsl:attribute name= &quot;border&quot; > 1pt solid black </xsl:attribute> </xsl:if>

21. tokenize() Goal: A client wants to check for one outputclass (“border”) among many Challenge: There may also be a “borderless” outputclass, and the outputclass may appear among others (“border other”, “other border”, “otherA border otherB”) Solution 2 (XPath 2.0): <xsl:if test= &quot;tokenize(@outputclass, ' ')[. = 'border']&quot; > <xsl:attribute name= &quot;border&quot; > 1pt solid black </xsl:attribute> </xsl:if>

22. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

23. Keys Trademark Revisited Goal: A client wants the trademark symbol to appear only on the first usage of each trademark, but doesn’t want to take the performance hit of searching through the entire document each and every time a <tm> is processed Solution: <xsl:key name= &quot;tm&quot; match= &quot;*[contains(@class, ' topic/tm ')]&quot; use= &quot;@trademark&quot; /> <xsl:if test= &quot;generate-id(.) = generate-id(key('tm', @trademark)[1])&quot; > … </xsl:if>

24. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

25. Grouping Goal: A client wants to group child links by type stage1.xml: <linkpool class= &quot;- topic/linkpool &quot; > <link class= &quot;- topic/link &quot; role= &quot;child&quot; type= &quot;concept&quot; > <linktext class= &quot;- topic/linktext &quot; > Concept One </linktext> <desc class= &quot;- topic/desc &quot; > This is a concept topic. </desc> </link> <link class= &quot;- topic/link &quot; role= &quot;child&quot; type= &quot;reference&quot; > <linktext class= &quot;- topic/linktext &quot; > Reference One </linktext> <desc class= &quot;- topic/desc &quot; > This is a reference topic. </desc> </link> <link class= &quot;- topic/link &quot; role= &quot;child&quot; type= &quot;concept&quot; > <linktext class= &quot;- topic/linktext &quot; > Concept Two </linktext> <desc class= &quot;- topic/desc &quot; > This is another concept topic. </desc> </link> </linkpool>

26. Grouping Solution 1 – Muenchian Method: <xsl:key name= &quot;child-links&quot; match= &quot;*[contains(@class, ' topic/link ') and @role='child']&quot; use= &quot;@type&quot; /> <xsl:for-each select= &quot;*[contains(@class, ' topic/link ') and @role = 'child'] [generate-id(.) = generate-id(key('child-links', @type)[1])&quot; > <fo:block> <xsl:value-of select= &quot;ss:first-upper-case(@type)&quot; /> </fo:block> <xsl:for-each select= &quot;key('child-links', @type)&quot; > ... </xsl:for-each> </xsl:for-each>

27. Grouping Solution 2 (XPath 2.0): <xsl:for-each-group select= &quot;*[contains(@class, ' topic/link ') and @role = 'child']&quot; group-by= &quot;@type&quot; > <fo:block> <xsl:value-of select= &quot;ss:first-upper-case(current-grouping-key())&quot; /> </fo:block> <xsl:for-each select= &quot;current-group()&quot; > ... </xsl:for-each> </xsl:for-each-group>

28. Main Topics What is XPath? XPath Basics Customization Examples List Numbering Trademark and current() Custom Functions tokenize() Keys Grouping

29. End of Advanced XPATH Be in touch! Reuven Weiser [email_address] Let us know how we can help you further… Stylesheet development One-on-one support and training CMS integration