XSLT Sorting Problem

[Unnsse Khan]

Hello...
I am trying to sort mailing addresses from states that start with the letter "M"... I am using the Xalan-J 2.5.2 XSLT parser...
Here's what I did:
1) Created a names.xml file:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<addressbook>
<address>
<name>
<title>Mr.</title>
<first-name>Chester Hasbrouck</first-name>
<last-name>Frisby</last-name>
</name>
<street>1234 Main Street</street>
<city>Sheboygan</city>
<state>WI</state>
<zip>48392</zip>
</address>
<address>
<name>
<first-name>Mary</first-name>
<last-name>Backstayge</last-name>
</name>
<street>283 First Avenue</street>
<city>Skunk Haven</city>
<state>MA</state>
<zip>02718</zip>
</address>
<address>
<name>
<title>Ms.</title>
<first-name>Natalie</first-name>
<last-name>Attired</last-name>
</name>
<street>707 Breitling Way</street>
<city>Winter Harbor</city>
<state>ME</state>
<zip>00218</zip>
</address>
<address>
<name>
<first-name>Harry</first-name>
<last-name>Backstayge</last-name>
</name>
<street>283 First Avenue</street>
<city>Skunk Haven</city>
<state>MA</state>
<zip>02718</zip>
</address>
<address>
<name>
<first-name>Mary</first-name>
<last-name>McGoon</last-name>
</name>
<street>103 Bryant Street</street>
<city>Boylston</city>
<state>VA</state>
<zip>27318</zip>
</address>
<address>
<name>
<title>Ms.</title>
<first-name>Amanda</first-name>
<last-name>Reckonwith</last-name>
</name>
<street>930-A Chestnut Street</street>
<city>Lynn</city>
<state>MA</state>
<zip>02930</zip>
</address>
</addressbook>
2) Created a namessorter.xsl file:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl utput method="text" indent="no"/>
<xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>

<xsl:variable name="newline">
<xsl:text>
</xsl:text>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:template match="/">
<xsl:for-each select="addressbook/address/[starts-with(state, 'M')]">
<xsl:sort select="name/last-name"/>
<xsl:sort select="name/first-name"/>
<xsl:if test="name/title">
<xsl:value-of select="name/title"/>
<xsl:text> </xsl:text>
</xsl:if>
<xsl:value-of select="name/first-name"/>
<xsl:text> </xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select="name/last-name"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
<xsl:value-of select="street"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
<xsl:value-of select="city"/>
<xsl:text>, </xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select="state"/>
<xsl:text> </xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select="zip"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
</xsl:for-each>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
3) When I went into the command line (on Windows 2000 Professional), I typed:
java org.apache.xalan.xslt.Process -in names.xml -xsl namessorter.xsl -out list.text
I get this error:
SystemId Unknown; Line #15; Column #-1; XSLT Error (javax.xml.transform.TransformerConfigurationException): javax.xml.transform.TransformerException: javax.xml.
transform.TransformerException: A location step was expected following the '/' or '//' token.
Line#15, is of course:
<xsl:for-each select="addressbook/address/[starts-with(state, 'M')]">
If anyone can help me with this problem, I will be most grateful....
All the best,

[Nimchi Yung]

Try this:
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl utput method="text" indent="no"/>
<xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>
<xsl:variable name="newline">
<xsl:text>
</xsl:text>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:template match="/">
<xsl:for-each select="addressbook/address/state[starts-with(., 'M')]/..">
<xsl:sort select="name/last-name"/>
<xsl:sort select="name/first-name"/>
<xsl:if test="name/title">
<xsl:value-of select="name/title"/>
<xsl:text> </xsl:text>
</xsl:if>
<xsl:value-of select="name/first-name"/>
<xsl:text> </xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select="name/last-name"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
<xsl:value-of select="street"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
<xsl:value-of select="city"/>
<xsl:text>, </xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select="state"/>
<xsl:text> </xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select="zip"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
<xsl:value-of select="$newline"/>
</xsl:for-each>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

--Nimchi

[Unnsse Khan]

Thanks!
Can you explain why my code didn't work, and why yours did? I am very impressed by the workaround.
Kindest regards,

[Tony Yan]

Your problem is with the node selection in xsl:for-each, not a sort problem per se.
<xsl:for-each select="addressbook/address/[starts-with(state, 'M')]">
doesn't select anything. Use of [] is to limit certain nodes. If you use
<xsl:for-each select="addressbook/address[starts-with(state, 'M')]">
should work also.

[Arshad Sharief]

Hi,
Iam getting this error, previously it was working fine and i don't know why is this throwing this error and it is not pointing to specific line.

Can anyone help.


javax.xml.transform.TransformerConfigurationException: javax.xml.transform.TransformerConfigurationException: javax.xml.transform.TransformerException: javax.xml.transform.TransformerException: A location step was expected following the '/' or '//' token.