<xsl:template match="xdm:field"/> <!-- this is the empty template -->
But how can I extend this concept to exclude not just the unwanted <field>
elements, but ANY element OTHER THAN those I need to render?
<xsl:apply-templates/> selects all the children. If you only need
one particular element, it's easier to select it in apply-templates:
<xsl:apply-templates select="xdm:field[(_at_)name='CSBFT242']"/>
and then the matching template will only be called for that element.
<xsl:template match="xdm:fields">
<xsl:apply-templates select="xdm:field[(_at_)name='CSBFT242']"/>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="xdm:field">
... process that one field ...
</xsl:template>
HTH,
Anton