Re: Xalan bug?

Hi Mukul,

The trouble rests in the expression that takes the preceding nodes that sound belong in the lastgroup together with the last node:


       <xsl:for-each select=". | preceding-sibling::node[position() &lt; $n]">

I'm very uncertain on what the XPath rec sais on how position() should be interpreted. I tried towrap preceding-sibling::node in braces, but that results in them being put back into doc order (asit should!), so you get a in the last group instead of one of the last... :-P

Considering that preceding-sibling::node is failing, one should expect that only the left part ofthe union (.) returns a value. But, the result is _not_ showing the last node, but the first of thatlast group (which is correct). Moreover, a ',' is shown, so the context list is filled with morethan one node! The for-each is definitely failing!!!


A less mind boggling expression, that works with all parsers as well (I guess) 
is:

       <xsl:for-each select="../node[position() > $m]">

with m defined as:

   <xsl:variable name="m" select="floor(count(node) div $group-size) * 
$group-size" />

Though I really think, you have conceived a complex solution for a not necessarily that complex aproblem...



Cheers,
Geert


Mukul Gandhi wrote:

I have added some comments in my logic(shown below) to
help in understanding..

<?xml version="1.0"?><xsl:stylesheet

xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform";
version="1.0">

<xsl:output method="text" />

<xsl:param name="group-size" select="3" />

<xsl:template match="/Parent">

   <!-- calculate the no of "node" elements, which are
left as a fraction; which are to be displayed in the
last group -->
   <xsl:variable name="n" select="count(node) -
(floor((count(node) div $group-size)) * $group-size)"
/>

<xsl:for-each select="node">

     <!-- determine group boundary; this if test stops
at the last "node" element of the group -->
     <xsl:if test="(position() mod $group-size) = 0">
       group <xsl:value-of select="floor(position()
div $group-size)" /><xsl:text> - </xsl:text>
       <!-- display group members -->
       <xsl:for-each select=". |
preceding-sibling::node[position() &lt;= ($group-size

- 1)]"><xsl:value-of select="." /><xsl:if

test="(position() mod $group-size) !=

0"><xsl:text>,</xsl:text></xsl:if></xsl:for-each>

       <xsl:text>&#xa;</xsl:text>

</xsl:if><!-- this if test processes the last group; whose

number of group members will be less than the
group-size -->
     <xsl:if test="((position() = last()) and
((position() mod $group-size) != 0))">
       group <xsl:value-of select="floor(position()
div $group-size) + 1" /><xsl:text> - </xsl:text>
       <xsl:for-each select=". |
preceding-sibling::node[position() &lt; $n]">
         <xsl:value-of select="." /><xsl:if
test="position() !=

last()"><xsl:text>,</xsl:text></xsl:if></xsl:for-each>

       <xsl:text>&#xa;</xsl:text>
     </xsl:if>
   </xsl:for-each>
</xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>


I would be happy to see any discussion on this post..

Regards,
Mukul

PS: I have posted it as a bug on Xalan site.

--- Mukul Gandhi <mukul_gandhi(_at_)yahoo(_dot_)com> wrote:

Hello,
I was solving a problem posted by a user at
microsoft.public.xsl newsgroup. I seem to have been
hit by a Xalan bug(Xalan-J 2.6.0), which I wish to

confirm with members here..

The problem posted was -
Subject: Grouping by two or any number
--------------------------------------
i have the following xml

<Parent>
 <node>a</node>
 <node>s</node>
 <node>d</node>
 <node>f</node>
 <node>g</node>
 <node>h</node>
 <node>j</node>
 <node>k</node>
 <node>l</node>
</Parent>


Need to print in following format (into groups of
two)

group 1 - a,s
group 2 - d,f
group 3 - g,h
group 4 - j,k
group 5 - l

I wrote the following stylesheet -