newbie XSLT question

[sixstringdork]

I'm new to XML/XSLT. I have most of my transform working, but I have
some data enclosed with "edit" tags that need to be used to control
what HTML gets displayed. Here's a snippet of my XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<rootCode>
<rootCodeTitle startDate='19781001'
endDate='99999999'><title>Chocolate Milk</title>
<chapter><title>CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS</title>
<subsec1><title>102. Rules of construction</title>
<subsec2>
<para>In this title</para>
<subsec3>
<title>(7)</title>
<para>the cow jumped over the moon;<edit startDate='19791001'
endDate='19861125'>and</edit><edit startDate='19861126'
endDate='99999999'></edit></para>
</subsec3>
<subsec3>
<title>(8)</title>
<para>the house, <edit startDate='19701001'
endDate='19831002'>continued</edit><edit startDate='19831002'
endDate='99999999'>contained</edit> a glass of milk<edit
startDate='19701001' endDate='19851125'>.</edit><edit
startDate='19851126' endDate='99999999'>; and</edit></para>
</subsec3>
<subsec3 startDate='19851126' endDate='99999999'><title >(9)</
title>
<para>When to shake the jug.</para>
</subsec3>
</subsec2>
</subsec1>
</chapter>
</rootCodeTitle>
</rootCode>

I'm passing an XSL parameter such as code_rev_date = '19800101' (a
date converted to a number). I want to display the text as it existed
on that date (the parameter date).

So I want to show, for example, most of /subsec3/para, but omit the
text that came after 19831002 (based on a parameter of 19800101. I've
been drifting around on W3.org, etc. for several days and I'm not
having much luck on how to approach this.

I hope this make sense. I can post my XSL sheet, but I don't think it
will be much help since it sucks.
(using classic ASP and IIS if it matters)

Thanks and sorry for the newbie question.

 

[Joe Kesselman]

Start with the identity stylesheet. (Look in the XSLT spec, or websearch
to find a copy of this; it's a near-universal starting point for writing
XSLT stylesheets.)

Modify it by adding a template which matches on elements which have a
@startDate after, or an @endDate before, the date you're interested in,
and which generates no output (thus discarding those elements and all
their contents).


Or am I misunderstanding your question?

 

[sixstringdork]

That's it. Thanks. I have it half way there now. My sheet drops the
stuff that falls outside of the relevant dates, but I'm trying to get
the formatting right on what's left. I REALLY feel stupid with this
stuff. I've been writing .asp code for almost 10 years and am really
comfortable doing it, but my brain is seriously broken when it comes
to this XSLT stuff (maybe I'm just getting old).

This isn't really a question. Just a thanks to let you know that I
got your message and that it helped moved me forward. My real
problem, I think, is that I'm trying to learn XML AND XSLT at the same
time. I just need to slow down and do some real reading I think.
It's just my nature to slog through code until I learn something.

Thanks.

 

[Joseph Kesselman]

I've been writing .asp code for almost 10 years and am really
comfortable doing it, but my brain is seriously broken when it comes
to this XSLT stuff (maybe I'm just getting old).

Rule-based programming does seem to be hard for folks to learn... but
it's a really powerful idiom once you get used to it.

I think, is that I'm trying to learn XML AND XSLT at the same
time. I just need to slow down and do some real reading I think.

Being thrown into the deep end of the pool sometimes works; depends on
how good you are at reading other programmers' minds, and how good you
are at researching the problems as you encounter them.

Remember to have fun... <smile/>

 

[Peter Flynn]

I'm new to XML/XSLT. I have most of my transform working, but I have
some data enclosed with "edit" tags that need to be used to control
what HTML gets displayed. Here's a snippet of my XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<rootCode>
<rootCodeTitle startDate='19781001'
endDate='99999999'><title>Chocolate Milk</title>
<chapter><title>CHAPTER 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS</title>
<subsec1><title>102. Rules of construction</title>
<subsec2>
<para>In this title</para>
<subsec3>
<title>(7)</title>
<para>the cow jumped over the moon;<edit startDate='19791001'
endDate='19861125'>and</edit><edit startDate='19861126'
endDate='99999999'></edit></para>
</subsec3>
<subsec3>
<title>(8)</title>
<para>the house, <edit startDate='19701001'
endDate='19831002'>continued</edit><edit startDate='19831002'
endDate='99999999'>contained</edit> a glass of milk<edit
startDate='19701001' endDate='19851125'>.</edit><edit
startDate='19851126' endDate='99999999'>; and</edit></para>
</subsec3>
<subsec3 startDate='19851126' endDate='99999999'><title >(9)</
title>
<para>When to shake the jug.</para>
</subsec3>
</subsec2>
</subsec1>
</chapter>
</rootCodeTitle>
</rootCode>

I'm passing an XSL parameter such as code_rev_date = '19800101' (a
date converted to a number). I want to display the text as it existed
on that date (the parameter date).

I hate to pour cold water on this, but this type of requirement has been
solved in other ways long ago, notably with DocBook's effectivity
attributes and with numerous historical synchronisation and layering
methods developed for the TEI DTD.

///Peter