xml-dev - Re: Grouping

[tpassin@home.com]

cgfield wrote -

> I have a database that stores a product with a unique ID.  This product
can
> have several properties.  Thus I will get an xml string that looks like
the
> following.
>
> <order>
> <product>
> <id>1</id>
> <codetype>COLOR</codetype>
> <code>RED</code>
> </product>
> <product>
> <id>1</id>
> <codetype>SIZE</codetype>
> <code>LARGE</code>
> </product>
> </order>
>

Big question - Will the group of codetype/code elements for a particular id
always be grouped together as in your example?  I imagine they will, if the
query sorts them by product id.  Then perhaps you can output a product
element only for the first occurrance of a particular id by its position
(that is, the first time a particular id appears in the order, you create a
product element).

Better would be to change the creation method of the xml so it is more
sensible.

> Unfortunately, when I transform this, it appears as two products.  I want
to
> display one product with all of its attributes.
>
> Is there any way to group these nodes so that it is easier to transform
with
> a stylesheet?  And if I do group them, what is the best way to loop
trhough
> the nodes in the XSL?
>
> I did try <xsl:variable
> but it does not work with MSXML parser.
>
Either forget the MS parser or use the current updated one, MSXML3, which
does have variables and most of the other nice things in the xslt Rec.  The
old one will slowly fade away.  Transform the xml at the sending end and not
the browser if necessary.

Tom Passin