On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 6:46 AM, Michael Kay <mike(_at_)saxonica(_dot_)com>
wrote:
Another way to do the same, without worrying about
implementation specifics is to enclose the transformation
into an <xsl:variable/> (which means that nothing is to be
done with this variable).
As this variable will capture the results of the
transformation, no output will be produced.
Not so. The transformation
<xsl:template match="/">
<xsl:variable name="x" select="2"/>
</xsl:template>
produces as its output a result tree consisting of a document node with no
children. If the transformation output is serialized and directed to a file
out.xml, the effect should be that after the transformation, out.xml exists
and contains only an XML declaration (regardless of whether or not the file
existed previously).
I think that "no output" includes the case when an empty file is
created ( a file, containing *no output*).
This will be the case if we use suitable <xsl:output> directive, for example:
<xsl:output method="text"/>
or
<xsl:output omit-xml-declaration="yes"/>
The fact that in this case a file (empty) is still created seems like
a bug. At least a lazy processor could create the file only when it is
necessary to produce actual output -- of length >= 1.
So, yes, a file may be created (and this seems to be of no use or just
a bug), but the output is null.
--
Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev
---------------------------------------
Truly great madness cannot be achieved without significant intelligence.
---------------------------------------
To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk
-------------------------------------
Never fight an inanimate object
-------------------------------------
You've achieved success in your field when you don't know whether what
you're doing is work or play
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