Is it because I am returning the node and not the text data?

Input
=====

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<sqladapterresponse>
<row>
<column name="field1">Worklog</column>
<column name="field2">Age1</column>
<column name="field3">Value 1</column>
<column name="SortOrder">1</column>
</row>
<row>
<column name="field1">Name2</column>
<column name="field2">Age2</column>
<column name="field3">Value 2</column>
<column name="SortOrder">5</column>
</row>
<row>
<column name="field1">Worklog</column>
<column name="field2">Age3</column>
<column name="field3">Value 1</column>
<column name="SortOrder">4</column>
</row>
<row>
<column name="field1">Name4</column>
<column name="field2">Age4</column>
<column name="field3">Value 4</column>
<column name="SortOrder">2</column>
</row>
<row>
<column name="field1">Worklog</column>
<column name="field2">Age4</column>
<column name="field3">Value 1</column>
<column name="SortOrder">3</column>
</row>
</sqladapterresponse>

XSLT
====

<xsl:stylesheet
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
version="1.0">


<xsl:template match="sqladapterresponse">
<xsl:apply-templates>
<xsl:sort select="//column[@name='SortOrder']" data-type="number"/>
</xsl:apply-templates>
</xsl:template>


<xsl:template match="/">
<sqladapterresponse>
<xsl:copy-of select="//row[column[@name='field1']/text()='Worklog' and column[@name='field3']/text()='Value 1']"/>
</sqladapterresponse>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Output
======
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<sqladapterresponse>
<row>
<column name="field1">Worklog</column>
<column name="field2">Age1</column>
<column name="field3">Value 1</column>
<column name="SortOrder">1</column>
</row>
<row>
<column name="field1">Worklog</column>
<column name="field2">Age3</column>
<column name="field3">Value 1</column>
<column name="SortOrder">4</column>
</row>
<row>
<column name="field1">Worklog</column>
<column name="field2">Age4</column>
<column name="field3">Value 1</column>
<column name="SortOrder">3</column>
</row>
</sqladapterresponse>

I don't think the template matching sqladapterresponse is applied at all as the template matching the root node simply copies some row elements but does not use any apply-templates.
So instead of using xsl:copy-of you need to use e.g.
That way you sort the selected rows, then make sure you have a template for the 'row' elements that copies them to the result tree.


--
  Martin Honnen
  Microsoft MVP - XML

<xsl:sort select="//column[@name='SortOrder']"

A path expression starting with "//" selects from the root of the document tree. This path expression selects all the SortOrder columns in the document, and the sort key is taken as the first of these. Just leave out the "//".


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

Thanks to both of you!

Michael, I removed these // and got the same result.

So I used Martin's suggestion. I added below template for 'row' at the bottom of the template he did:

<xsl:template match="row">
<xsl:copy-of select="."/>
</xsl:template>

However, my editor displayed the result row each separated by a space line. I wonder why it happened. I can fix it with <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/> but I'm just curious why the sorting added those extra lines? Not something that bothers me at the moment but ...

Many thanks again!!

>Michael, I removed these // and got the same result.

That's because I only noticed one of your errors.

>However, my editor displayed the result row each separated by a space line.

Apply-templates by default selects all the children including elements and whitespace text nodes. Do select="*" or select="row" to avoid selecting them, or xsl:strip-space to remove them at source.

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

Unwanted white space is usually the result of some white space copied from the input to the output and/or of using xsl:output indent="yes".
With the template I suggested I don't think any white space from the input is copied to the output so I suspect you have an xsl:output indent="yes" in your stylesheet.
Which XSLT processor are you using within your editor?
When I run the complete stylesheet
against your sample input with Saxon 6.5.5 then I don't see any white space between row elements in the output, the result looks as follows:
--
  Martin Honnen
  Microsoft MVP - XML

Hi Michael and Martin

I read sometime back that pure xpath aware processor will give me those spaces. Usually the xml output is the same all through out for the templates that I create until now that I have to sort my output and struggle at work and have to use a different editor at home.


Yes, using my editor at home I regularly add indent="yes" to check the output in tabbed structure (it is easier for me to scan the result). And my IDE at work does give me a way to quickly view the output by toggling on a switch without having to change and run the xslt to see the differences in the output.

Sorting allowed me to know what's really going on and thanks to both of you for the technical bit to watch out for when switching between editors or IDE.

My trialware editor at home is using Saxon 9.0.0.6

And now, please, can you guys enjoy your weekend already? You've been helping the community like 24x7...

Many thanks again for the usual support guys and more power!