i used CDATA in my xsl in the following way:
      <request>
        <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes" select="string('&lt;![CDATA[')"/> <xsl:copy-of select="$request"/> <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes" select="string(']]&gt;')"/>
      </request>

in the transformed output i am not able to see the CDATA in the output

<request>
  <a>123</a>
</request>

instead of

<![CDATA[<request><a>123</a></request>]]>

why is it so?

Firstly, disable-output-escaping doesn't always work: processors aren't obliged to support it, and most processors will ignore it if you aren't serializing the output of the transformation. So we need to know more about the environment in which you are running.

However, if d-o-e isn't working, that wouldn't explain your output.

I'm afraid as so often happens, the conclusion is that the problem lies in the part of the application that you haven't shown us.

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

The XSL processor that we are using is a customized one. The evironment that i am working in is a SOA appliance - XI50. Is this information sufficient?

i am able to get CDATA in the output if do this way:

<request>
        <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes"
select="string('&lt;![CDATA[')"/>
        <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes"
select="string('&lt;![CDATA[')"/>
        <xsl:copy-of select="$request"/>
        <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes"
select="string(']]&gt;')"/>
        <xsl:value-of disable-output-escaping="yes"
select="string(']]&gt;')"/>
</request>

(CDATA value-of tags repeated twice)

which i feel is not the correct way. what is the correct solution?

Very peculiar. I think this problem is product-specific and you need to go to your XSLT vendor for support.

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

But if your content is XML, you are using copy-of, why do you need a CDATA section anyway?

--

Joe (Microsoft MVP - XML)

in the request tag i have a xml and i am sending this to a web service. The web service says request is invalid if i am not sending the [!CDATA ]]>. if my understanding is right, that is the purpose of the CDATA correct, that is to escape '<' '>'.

Thanks Kay. i have asked for explanation from the vendor.