Guys - thanks for the help. I'm only using this to convert small numbers like 
1024 -- converting LCID Dec values to LCID Hex values. The simpler the better 
would be great. I'll play around with the sample code you gave me.

"Marvin Smit" wrote:

> Hi Dimitre,
> 
> this is actually turning into a cool convo ;)
> 
> >
> >Yes, but we live in the real world, where people come back tired from 
> >working a whole day and just have a spare minute, and still want to help...
> 
> Which shows "true technology love and willing to share", respect for
> that.
> 
> >There are some vere generic and universally applicable functions (templates) 
> >such as str-foldl. Instead of providing this template inline in the code 
> >every time it is needed, it is much more convenient to simply import another 
> >stylesheet that contains this template.
> 
> I agree, but i would like to take into the consideration if its an
> experienced XML/XSLT'r or someone starting to learn the ropes. This
> would change the approach i would take.
> 
> >This also helps to get accustomed with the fact that we can always rely on 
> >such universal templates and to think of them as comprising a "template (or 
> >function) library". This is real power and it is the result of 
> >hiding/abstacting the functions'/templates' implementation, which is the 
> >opposite of providing their implementation.
> 
> General functionality and re-use is always good. The small issue that
> arrises here is that "no-one but you" knew:
> >Nothing, because in my definition from a few years ago of a hex number, only 
> >caps were allowed.
> 
> Meaning if used as-is, it might not work, because the Hex
> rerpesentation says nothing about capitals or not.
> 
> Anyways,
> 
> I think we've answered the question "can you do Hex->Dec in XSLT" in
> multiple ways and argumented both options. What else would a 'question
> poser' want? :)
> 
> Marvin Smit
> 
> Ps; we both didn't show the 'other option' of using script in XSLT ;)
> 
> 
> 
> On Fri, 2 Sep 2005 19:57:44 +1000, "Dimitre Novatchev"
> <dimitren@t...> wrote:
> 
> >Hi Marvin,
> >
> >"Marvin Smit" <marvin.smit@g...> wrote in message 
> >news:qd3gh1t3ms5gmgdifc9166bndv189re3je@4......
> >> Hi Dimitril,
> >>
> >>>>>> I am attempting to convert a hexidecimal value to decimal value from 
> >>>>>> an
> >>>>>> XML
> >>>>>> file. Can this be done in XSLT for output to HTML?
> >>
> >> Reading this, I don't think we should do the "dig through different
> >> templates and merge whats needed". But provide a single sollution that
> >> shows how it might be done.
> >
> >Yes, but we live in the real world, where people come back tired from 
> >working a whole day and just have a spare minute, and still want to help...
> >
> >>
> >>>It works without problems with quite long hexadecimal numbers -- in this
> >>>case a 8-hexadecimal-digit number.
> >
> >Yep, I somehow misread your message and thought the instability happened for 
> >more than 6 digits.
> >
> >Sure, a 13 digit hex number is still converted correctly to a decimal --  
> >like:
> >
> >x'ABCD0983ABCDE' = 3022353860312286
> >
> >>
> >> I just warned that the "single example" one i wrote goes untill 12 Hex
> >> chars before becoming unstable.
> >>
> >>
> >> Marvin Smit.
> >>
> >> ps: for completeness, what does the "fold version" do with non
> >> capitilized hexadecimal chars in the value?
> >
> >Nothing, because in my definition from a few years ago of a hex number, only 
> >caps were allowed.
> >
> >Of course, not a problem:
> >
> >just change:
> >
> >    <xsl:value-of select="16 * $arg1
> >                        + string-length(substring-before($hexDigits, 
> >$arg2))"/>
> >
> >to
> >
> >      <xsl:value-of select= "16 * $arg1
> >      + string-length(substring-before($hexDigits, 
> >translate($arg2,'abcdef','ABCDEF')))"/>
> >
> >so now we also have:
> >
> >x'ABCD0983abcde' = 3022353860312286
> >
> >and this takes place not in the "str-foldl" template, but in the one 
> >matching "hex-converter:*"
> >
> >
> >BTW, I don't agree with your statement that:
> >       I don't think we should do the "dig through different
> >       templates and merge whats needed".
> >
> >There are some vere generic and universally applicable functions (templates) 
> >such as str-foldl. Instead of providing this template inline in the code 
> >every time it is needed, it is much more convenient to simply import another 
> >stylesheet that contains this template.
> >
> >This also helps to get accustomed with the fact that we can always rely on 
> >such universal templates and to think of them as comprising a "template (or 
> >function) library". This is real power and it is the result of 
> >hiding/abstacting the functions'/templates' implementation, which is the 
> >opposite of providing their implementation.
> >
> >
> >Cheers,
> >Dimitre Novatchev.
> >
> >
> >
> >>
> >>
> >> On Fri, 2 Sep 2005 06:56:58 +1000, "Dimitre Novatchev"
> >> <dimitren@t...> wrote:
> >>
> >>>
> >>>"Marvin Smit" <marvin.smit@g...> wrote in message
> >>>news:rr8eh19rp5s4j02dek6h990eaf7grhqj7c@4......
> >>>> Hi guys,
> >>>>
> >>>> being interrested int he topic, i was reading this and checking the
> >>>> solution found on the mentioned link.
> >>>>
> >>>> After seeying that i had something like... MMhhh, don't think 4 or 5
> >>>> XSLT's are really needed... Lets see if I can figure something out
> >>>> here.
> >>>
> >>>C'mon Marvin,
> >>>the hex-to-decimal template uses only one additional template --  
> >>>str-foldl.
> >>>
> >>>Just for your convenience I have packed in one stylesheet module all the
> >>>code and a test of it -- no stylesheets are imported.
> >>>
> >>>The code, without the test is 55 lines long. No stacks or whatever need be
> >>>modelled.
> >>>
> >>>It works without problems with quite long hexadecimal numbers -- in this
> >>>case a 8-hexadecimal-digit number.
> >>>
> >>>In case it is rewritten in XSLT 2.0 and xs:integer is used, the results 
> >>>will
> >>>always be correct (as Saxon 8.x implements "Big Arithmetic").
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>This transformation:
> >>>
> >>><xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
> >>>xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
> >>> xmlns:hex-converter="f:hex-converter"
> >>>>
> >>>  <xsl:output method="text"/>
> >>>
> >>>  <xsl:template match="/">
> >>>    <xsl:call-template name="hex-to-decimal">
> >>>      <xsl:with-param name="pxNumber" select="'ABCD0983'"/>
> >>>    </xsl:call-template>
> >>>  </xsl:template>
> >>>
> >>>  <hex-converter:hex-converter/>
> >>>
> >>>  <xsl:variable name="hexDigits" select="'0123456789ABCDEF'"/>
> >>>
> >>>  <xsl:template name="hex-to-decimal">
> >>>    <xsl:param name="pxNumber"/>
> >>>
> >>>    <xsl:variable name="vFunXConvert"
> >>>                  select="document('')/*/hex-converter:*[1]"/>
> >>>
> >>>    <xsl:call-template name="str-foldl">
> >>>      <xsl:with-param name="pFunc" select="$vFunXConvert"/>
> >>>      <xsl:with-param name="pA0" select="0"/>
> >>>      <xsl:with-param name="pStr" select="$pxNumber"/>
> >>>    </xsl:call-template>
> >>>  </xsl:template>
> >>>
> >>>  <xsl:template match="hex-converter:*">
> >>>    <xsl:param name="arg1"/> <!-- $pA0 -->
> >>>    <xsl:param name="arg2"/> <!-- a char (digit) -->
> >>>
> >>>    <xsl:value-of select="16 * $arg1
> >>>                        + string-length(substring-before($hexDigits,
> >>>$arg2))"/>
> >>>  </xsl:template>
> >>>
> >>>    <xsl:template name="str-foldl">
> >>>      <xsl:param name="pFunc" select="/.."/>
> >>>      <xsl:param name="pA0"/>
> >>>      <xsl:param name="pStr"/>
> >>>
> >>>      <xsl:choose>
> >>>         <xsl:when test="not(string($pStr))">
> >>>            <xsl:copy-of select="$pA0"/>
> >>>         </xsl:when>
> >>>         <xsl:otherwise>
> >>>            <xsl:variable name="vFunResult">
> >>>              <xsl:apply-templates select="$pFunc[1]">
> >>>                <xsl:with-param name="arg0" select="$pFunc[position() >
> >>>1]"/>
> >>>                <xsl:with-param name="arg1" select="$pA0"/>
> >>>                <xsl:with-param name="arg2" 
> >>> select="substring($pStr,1,1)"/>
> >>>              </xsl:apply-templates>
> >>>            </xsl:variable>
> >>>
> >>>            <xsl:call-template name="str-foldl">
> >>>          <xsl:with-param name="pFunc" select="$pFunc"/>
> >>>          <xsl:with-param name="pStr"
> >>>                   select="substring($pStr,2)"/>
> >>>          <xsl:with-param name="pA0"
> >>>                  select="$vFunResult"/>
> >>>            </xsl:call-template>
> >>>         </xsl:otherwise>
> >>>      </xsl:choose>
> >>>
> >>>    </xsl:template>
> >>></xsl:stylesheet>
> >>>
> >>>when applied on any source xml (ignored), correctly converts the 8-digit
> >>>hexadecimal number
> >>>
> >>>     x'ABCD0983'
> >>>
> >>>to the decimal number
> >>>
> >>>      2882341251
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Hope this would be useful. :o)
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Cheers,
> >>>Dimitre Novatchev
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>
> >>>> So, this is the resulting XSLT i made. It works using a stack
> >>>> mechanism, so to high a values for the "Hex" will eventually break the
> >>>> XSLT transformation with a Stack overflow (1 stack level per
> >>>> character).
> >>>>
> >>>> I also saw that moving beyond the "12 character hexadecimal figure"
> >>>> makes the result unreliable (rounding issues on large numbers)
> >>>>
> >>>> 488df73faa9d = 79774575733405 still worked correctly.
> >>>>
> >>>> ;============== XSLT STARTS HERE ================
> >>>> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
> >>>> <!-- Hex 2 Dec converter in XSLT without extensions -->
> >>>> <!-- The following XSLT has been written for educational purposes only
> >>>> -->
> >>>> <!-- If you would like to use this template as-is in a commercial
> >>>> product, please contact me first -->
> >>>> <!-- Marvin Smit, marvin.smit@g... -->
> >>>>
> >>>> <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
> >>>> xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
> >>>> <xsl:output method="xml" version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"
> >>>> indent="yes"/>
> >>>>
> >>>> <xsl:template match="hex">
> >>>> <xsl:variable name="HexStr"
> >>>> select="translate(text(),'abcdef','ABCDEF')"/>
> >>>>
> >>>> <xsl:call-template name="Hex2Dec">
> >>>> <xsl:with-param name="HexVal"
> >>>> select="$HexStr"/>
> >>>> <xsl:with-param name="Multiplier"
> >>>> select="'1'"/>