Hello. I don't yet have an XSLT 2.0 processor (I don't have ASP.NET nor JSP for Saxon and I don't know any PHP XSLT 2.0 processors) but I'm currently making and using XSLT 1.0 stylesheets. When support for XSLT 2.0 arrives in a language at my disposal (PHP or Cold Fusion) I would like to use it's functionality.

For this reason, I would like to know about how XPath 2.0 functions are used.

• Can XPath 2.0 functions be used in XSLT 1.0 stylesheets?
• Do XSLT 2.0 stylesheets need to declare a namespace for the XPath 2.0 functions?
• Looking at the specification for XPath functions and operators I noticed the XPath 1.0 functions are also present. If a namespace is required in XSLT 2.0 stylesheets, wouldn't that cause incompatibility with XSLT 1.0 processors?

Any additional notes on XPath 2.0 related to XSLT 1.0 are also welcomed.

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<xsl:for-each select="problem"><xsl:value-of select="solution"></xsl:for-each>

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&lt;xsl:for-each select=\"problem\"&gt;&lt;xsl:value-of select=\"solution\"&gt;&lt;/xsl:for-each&gt;

Basically what happens depends on the version declared in the xsl:stylesheet element. If you declare version 2.0 in a version 2.0 enabled processor then you have access to the newer functions and elements such as xsl:sequence. It will also treat such things as xsl:value-of differently. If you specify version 1.0 in the same processor then you will get the same as a version 1.0 processor except in a few cases.
For a detailed explanation of these things, and how version 1.0 processors behave on encountering a version 2.0 stylesheet, you can do no better than Michael Kay's two Wrox books on the subject XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference and XSLT 2.0 Programmer's Reference.


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Joe (Microsoft MVP - XML)

So XPath 2.0 is never going to be available in XSLT 1.0 processors and XSLT 2.0 processors won't need a namespace for the new functions. Great. So I know what to do. Thanks.

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<xsl:for-each select="problem"><xsl:value-of select="solution"></xsl:for-each>

Actually, I have one more question. How are the operator (prefixed with "op" in the specs) and the schema (prefixed with "xs") functions be used? Like the core functions? Or with some sort of symbolic equivalents? With namespace? Any samples would be greatly appreciated. I realize they will be completely incompatable with XSLT 1.0 though.

Ok. It's not exactly one question, but in it's core, it's one:D.

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<xsl:for-each select="problem"><xsl:value-of select="solution"></xsl:for-each>

The op: functions are not directly exposed to the user, they are a formal device for specifying the behaviour of operators such as "=", "+", "<<", "is" and so on.

The xs: functions perform casting between different schema data types, for example xs:date("2006-10-04") converts a string to a date. These functions are written with an explicit namespace prefix (you can use any prefix bound to the schema namespace).

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/
Author, XSLT Programmer's Reference and XPath 2.0 Programmer's Reference