Hello,

Suppose I want to write a custom function which for a given node Node1 
retrieves its language value (given by an xml:lang attribute).
This value can be inherited -- in which case the significant language 
value should be that of the closest ancestor which explicitly states a 
language value.

Please take a look at my example ASP code below:


<%@ LANGUAGE = "VBScript" %>
<% Response.Buffer = True %>
<%
Dim XML1,XMLDoc1,Node1,Node2
Set XMLDoc1 = Server.CreateObject("MSXML2.DOMDocument")
XMLDoc1.setProperty "SelectionLanguage","XPath"
XMLDoc1.Async = False

XML1 = XML1 & "<doc xml:lang=""de"">"
XML1 = XML1 & "<block xml:lang=""en"">"
XML1 = XML1 & "<item>Item</item>"
XML1 = XML1 & "</block>"
XML1 = XML1 & "</doc>"

XMLDoc1.LoadXML(XML1)

Set Node1 = XMLDoc1.SelectSingleNode("//item")
Set Node2 = Node1.SelectSingleNode("ancestor-or-self::node()/@xml:lang")

If Not(Node2 Is Nothing) Then
	Response.Write "Lang:" & Node2.Text
	Response.Write " (inherited from " & 
Node2.SelectSingleNode("..").NodeName & ")"
End If

Set Node1 = Nothing
Set Node2 = Nothing
Set XMLDoc1 = Nothing
%>

On this example, the XML document is made up of 3 nested nodes "doc", 
"block", "item". "doc" and "block" have different xml:lang values.
I want to test the language value of the node "doc" (Node1)
In my understanding, the XPath expression 
"ancestor-or-self::node()/@xml:lang" applied to Node1 is the correct 
one. As an argument of the XML DOM SelectSingleNodemethod, it *should* 
select the first node on the reverse axis, ie the @xml:lang of the 
"block" node.

Problem: instead of the expected behaviour, it selects the @xml:lang of 
the "doc" node (indeed the first node, but in the document order, *not* 
the reverse order going from "item" upwards), and I don't understand why.

Could somebody explain this behaviour and help me solve this problem.

Thanks,

F