xml-dev - XPointer question

[Charles Reitzel <creitzel@mediaone.net>]

Ok.  To do datatypes using NOTATIONs, and other useful things, I've got all
"real" data in elements, not attributes.  That's fine.  I'd still like to
use XPointer to point to a container element based on the values of one *or*
*more* contained elements.

Pretend for a moment that real data is in attributes.  Then I can do
something like:

root().descendant( 1, FOV0001A_POSITION, 
                   BROKERAGE_ACCT_NBR, "X01362986",
                   BROKERAGE_CUSIP, "AB3839283AVS" )

This gets the first "position" for a given account ## and security ID
(CUSIP).  These two fields would make up the primary (unique) key to a
positions table in a database.

Is there a way to do something similar if BROKERAGE_ACCT_NBR and
BROKERAGE_CUSIP are child elements of FOV0001A_POSITION?  It strikes me as a
somewhat difficult problem in the general tree-oriented case, but easy in
table oriented cases.  Is there (or should there be) a special case to find
elements by their immediate children?  How do other folks approach this issue?

Charles Reitzel
creitzel@mediaone.net





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