"RedHair" <redhair@u...> wrote in message
news:us4itGOWGHA.4148@T......
> Hi Anthony,
>
> Thanks for your quick reply.
> This is like applying template recursively?
> Can you explain select="@* | * | node()"  to me?
>
>

@* select all attributes in an element.
* selects all child elements
node() selects any other node

The | is effectively a union operator so

@* | * | node()

selects everything possible inside an XML element.

>This is like applying template recursively?

Yes.  As soon as apply-templates is used the possibility of the template
which calls it being called again is always present.  So unlike procedural
languages where recursion is often thought of as special case or advanced
techinique, recursion in XSL is quite natural and common.

This template:-

 <xsl:template match="/ | @* | * | node()">
  <xsl:copy>
   <xsl:apply-templates select="@* | * | node()"/>
  </xsl:copy>
 </xsl:template>

is known as the identity template and will output the same XML that was
input.

The template I used in my answer is similar expect I removed the superflous
match to the root /  and placed a mode on it to limit it's effect to the
intended use.

Anthony.



Anthony