> thank you for the quick help! I came up with:
> <xsl:variable name="date" select="abc:def/date" /> 
> <xsl:value-of select="if (boolean($date)) then $date else 
> '0000-00-00'" /> the boolean() is not neccessary.
> 
> Im not sure which xpath version my saxon test program 
> supports, since the transformation of your first suggestion 
> failed with "expected ")".
> 
Correction to previous response. If "if() then else" works, then I would
expect (a,b)[1] to work. Use -t on the command line to see which version you
are using.

> > 
> > <xsl:value-of select="(abc:def/date, '0000-00-00')[1]"/>
> > 

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/


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