In the following xsl, I'm trying to create a record typically of the form (name:value). I need to add a unique id for this record. So every where (name:'<xsl:value-of select="@name") is seen in the current version, I need to add (id:value, name:<xsl:value-of select="@name"). The value of id should be unique. Any help??


<xsl:template match="eSubpackages">
    { label: 'name',
identifier: 'name',
items:[

<xsl:for-each select="eClassifiers">
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="position()!=last()">


{name:'<xsl:value-of select="@name"/>',

<xsl:if test= "(child::node())">
children:[
<xsl:for-each select="child::node()[local-name()][@name]">

<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="position()!=last()">
{name:'<xsl:value-of select= "@name" />'},


</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
{name:'<xsl:value-of select= "@name" />'}
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:for-each>
]
</xsl:if>
},
</xsl:when>


<xsl:otherwise>

{name:'<xsl:value-of select="@name"/>',

<xsl:if test= "(child::node())">
children:[
<xsl:for-each select="child::node()[local-name()][@name]">

<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="position()!=last()">
{name:'<xsl:value-of select= "@name" />'},


</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
{name:'<xsl:value-of select= "@name" />'}
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:for-each>
]
</xsl:if>
}
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>


</xsl:for-each>



]
}
</xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

Depending on the format of the ID you want you could look at either generate-id() function, or the <xsl:number> instruction.

/- Sam Judson : Wrox Technical Editor -/

Thanks Sam! That was an useful tip! However, I ran into another problem.

The input on which this xsl works is an xml schema (rather than an xml data object)and am trying to render that info in the form of a tree . Since am using xml schema, I have some child elements of a node which can be of user defined types. I need to expand these child nodes but then no child nodes are present as such in the input xml schema. Those user defined types might be present as separate elements. Hence, I have to match the user defined type of the child nodes with the types of separate elements (to add the matched element's child nodes under the child node of an element which has a user defined type).

 As you might see, using generate-id() gives the same id as it is node based. So, distinct value condition for id gets violated. Any suggestions?/

Well looks like <xsl:number> might be a better solution then.

/- Sam Judson : Wrox Technical Editor -/

Would it be possible to give a bit more detail on how this solves the unique id problem?

Here is some detail on the problem


<types>

<process>
<process step>
<gap kind="GAP"/>
</process step>
</process>

<Gap eType="GAP">
<name/>
<id/>
</types>

I need the child elements of Gap to be displayed under process->process step->gap since the nested gap element matches with some other type Gap(shown as a separate element). So the problem is how to assign different id's for an element when there is a change in the context?

Well <xsl:number> will (by default) generate a new number each time it is called - much like a counter might. This means that if you use a referenced user type it will have a new number, rather than generate-id() which will as you say generate the same id for the user type each time it is used.

/- Sam Judson : Wrox Technical Editor -/