I need to be able to create and insert an element by adding it to a particular node in my document. This new element has to be placed in at a particular place around other elements, but all of those elements being completely optional. I won't know wether the other elements are there but I need some way to insert my new one according to the set order.

For Example:

<Sample>
    <Ball/>
    <Bat/>
    <Glove/>
    <Field/>
</Sample>

Now I want to add.. say <Game/> between <Bat/> and <Glove/>. That's where its position should be.

Now say all I have is:

<Sample>
    <Ball/>
</Sample>

My new <Game/> element would have to be placed after <Ball/>
or if I have

<Sample>
    <Ball/>
    <Field/>
</Sample>

My new <Game/> element would be before field but after ball.

I'm kind of at a loss on how to proceed with writing an XSLT to insert this element in the correct position. I can't do it by adding any type of order attributes. Please Help

When you are talking about XSLT you don't tend to think in this way, i.e. you don't usually describe your requirements as 'inserting'.

I'm assuming you have some basic input XML, which matches what you have here. Any kind of copy like this usually starts with the Identity Transform:

<xsl:template match="node() | @*">
    <xsl:copy>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="node() | @*"/>
    </xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>


Then you process the ones that have exceptions, something like this:

<xsl:template match="Sample">
    <xsl:copy>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="Ball|Bat"/>
        <Game/>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="Glove|Field"/>
    </xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>

Whether this is what you actually mean or not I'm not 100% sure.

/- Sam Judson : Wrox Technical Editor -/

--
  Martin Honnen
  Microsoft MVP - XML

Yup that worked out just fine! Thanks!