Question

I have a XML like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<nodes>
    <n c="value2"/>
    <n>Has a relation to node with value2</n>
    <n>Has a relation to node with value2</n>
    <n c="value"/>
    <n>Has a relation to node with value</n>
    <n c="value1"/>
    <n>Has a relation to node with value1</n>
</nodes>

I sort all elements which have attributes in variable, then I iterate over this variable in for-each loop. But at the end of each loop, I need to print value of those elements which are below the currently processed element(in original XML) and have no atrribute.

That means: call apply-templates on <n> without attribute, but the “select” attr. in apply-templates does not work, probably because I´m now in variable loop.

Is there a solution for that?
Thanks

Here is the XSL:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="2.0">
    <xsl:template match="/">
        <xsl:apply-templates/>
    </xsl:template>

    <xsl:template match="nodes">

        <xsl:variable name="sorted">
            <xsl:for-each select="n[@c]">
                <xsl:sort select="@c"></xsl:sort>
                <xsl:copy-of select="."></xsl:copy-of>
            </xsl:for-each>
        </xsl:variable>

        <xsl:for-each select="$sorted/n">
            <xsl:value-of select="@c"></xsl:value-of>

            <xsl:apply-templates select="/nodes/n[2]"></xsl:apply-templates>
        </xsl:for-each>

    </xsl:template>

    <xsl:template match="n[not(@c)]">
        <xsl:value-of select="."></xsl:value-of>
    </xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

This is just example,all this is a part of bigger project:)

Desired output with a more complicated XPAth(now even the simple one does not work) is:

Value
Has a relation to node with value
Value1
Has a relation to node with value1
Value2
Has a relation to node with value2
Has a relation to node with value2

Is it a bit clearer now?

Answer 1

Some thoughts: apply-templates without a select processes the child node of the current context node; in your input sample the n elements do not have any children at all. Furthermore in your variable you do a copy-of meaning you create new nodes that have no relation to the nodes in the input sample. So while I am not sure what you want to achieve your construction with apply-templates inside the for-each does not make sense, given the input sample you have posted and the variable you use.

I suspect you could use the XSLT 2.0 for-each-group group-starting-with as in

<xsl:template match="nodes">
  <xsl:for-each-group select="n" group-starting-with="n[@c]">
    <xsl:sort select="@c"/>
    <xsl:value-of select="@c"/>
    <xsl:apply-templates select="current-group() except ."/>
  </xsl:for-each-group>
</xsl:template>

If that does not help then consider to post a small input sample with sample data and the corresponding output sample you want to create with XSLT 2.0, then we can make suggestions on how to achieve that.

[edit] Now that you have posted an output sample I post an enhanced version of my previous suggestion:

<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="2.0">

<xsl:output method="text"/>

<xsl:template match="nodes">
  <xsl:for-each-group select="n" group-starting-with="n[@c]">
    <xsl:sort select="@c"/>
    <xsl:value-of select="@c"/>
    <xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
    <xsl:apply-templates select="current-group() except ."/>
  </xsl:for-each-group>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="n[not(@c)]">
   <xsl:value-of select="."/>
   <xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
</xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

When I use Saxon 9.3 and run the stylesheet against your latest input sample the result is as follows:

value
Has a relation to node with value
value1
Has a relation to node with value1
value2
Has a relation to node with value2
Has a relation to node with value2

That is what you asked for I think so try that approach with your more complex real input.