XML Tutorials - Herong's Tutorial Notes
Dr. Herong Yang, Version 4.00

XSLT (XSL Transformations) Introduction

This chapter provides tutorial notes and example codes on XSLT (XSL Transformations). Topics include introduction to XSLT (XSL Transformations); syntax of stylesheet, template, apply-templates elements; including literal texts and XML elements in transformation output; calling a transformation inside another transformation; using default transformation template.

What Is XSLT (XSL Transformations)?

"stylesheet" - The Stylesheet Declaration Element

"template" - The Template Declaration Element

Including Literal XML Elements in Templates

"apply-templates" - The Child Transformation Call Element

How the Transformation Process Gets Started?

Default Transformation Template

XML Element Transformation Chains

XML Element Transformation Chains - Complex Example

Conclusion:

  • An XSLT stylesheet is a set of XML element transformation templates written in XSLT language.
  • An XSL processor is an application that transforms all elements in a given XML document according to rules defined in matching templates included in associated stylesheet.
  • The XSL processor automatically starts the transformation on the root element.
  • If no matching template defined for a source element, the default template will be used to transform the source element.
  • The default template sends only text content of a source element to the transformation result.
  • Transformations can be performed one inside another as transformation chains.

Exercise: Write a template that produces no output.

Table of Contents

 About This Book

 Introduction of XML (eXtensible Markup Language)

 XML File Syntax

 XML File Browsers

 DOM (Document Object Model) Programming Interface

 SAX (Simple API for XML) Programming Interface

 DTD (Document Type Definition) Introduction

 Syntaxes of DTD Statements

 Validating an XML Document against the Specified DTD Document Type

 XSD (XML Schema Definition) Introduction

 Syntaxes of XSD Statements

 Validating an XML Document against the Specified XML Schema

 XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) Introduction

XSLT (XSL Transformations) Introduction

 Java Implementation of XSLT

 XPath (XML Path) Language

 XSLT Elements as Programming Statements

 Control and Generate XML Element in the Result

 References

 Printable Copy - PDF Version

Dr. Herong Yang, updated in 2009
XSLT (XSL Transformations) Introduction