> With XSLT 2.0 you could use the much shorter
>   <xsl:variable name="loop_num"
>                 select="if (not(//Display_Count)) then 3 else 
> //Display_Count"/>

This will select //Display_Count nodes, but the OP needs just one (as this 
question was asked for XSLT 1.0)


A correct and shorter XPath 2.0 solution is the following:

   ( //Display_Count,   3)[1]


Cheers,
Dimitre Novatchev



"Martin Honnen" <mahotrash@y...> wrote in message 
news:O2gWFaiVJHA.2928@T......
> kpg wrote:
>
>> So something like this will not work:
>>
>> <xsl:choose>
>>   <xsl:when test="not(//Display_Count)">
>>     <xsl:variable name="loop_num" select="1"/>  </xsl:when>
>>   <xsl:otherwise>
>>     <xsl:variable name="loop_num" select="//Display_Count"/> 
>> </xsl:otherwise>
>> </xsl:choose>
>
> The other way round works:
>   <xsl:variable name="loop_num">
>      <xsl:choose>
>        <xsl:when test="not(//Display_Count)">3</xsl:when>
>        <xsl:otherwise>
>          <xsl:value-of select="//Display_Count"/>
>        </xsl:otherwise>
>      </xsl:choose>
>    </xsl:variable>
>
> With XSLT 2.0 you could use the much shorter
>   <xsl:variable name="loop_num"
>                 select="if (not(//Display_Count)) then 3 else 
> //Display_Count"/>
> -- 
>
> Martin Honnen --- MVP XML
> http://JavaScript.FAQTs.com/