[xsl] Using memory addressing to retrieve a value vice using a software

Hi Folks,

I want to retrieve "west".

Which of these is faster?

-------------------
Approach #1
-------------------
The <edge> element contains text:

        <edge>garden west door</edge>

"west" is retrieved using this XPath:

        substring-before(substring-after(., ' '), ' ')

Note: assume that <edge> is the context node.

-------------------
Approach #2
-------------------
The <edge> element contains markup:

        <edge>
            <garden/>
            <west/>
            <door/>
        </edge>

"west" is retrieved using this XPath:

        *[2]/name()


I believe that Approach #2 is much, much faster. Do you agree? 

As I see it, Approach #2 is simply a memory addressing task (which computers do 
very well) to obtain <west/> and then output the symbols at that memory 
address. Approach #1, on the other hand, requires the use of software string 
libraries, which, I imagine, results in hundreds or thousands of machine 
instructions. In fact, I would imagine that Approach #2 is hundreds or 
thousands of times faster than Approach #1. Do you agree?

/Roger
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