Скачать или смотреть Generate XPath from XML Using XSLT

Discover how to create an XSLT stylesheet to generate XPath from XML by breaking down a practical example.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63632823/ asked by the user 'Goonerd' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4591489/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63633396/ provided by the user 'michael.hor257k' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/3016153/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Generate XPath of a particular element using XSLT

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Generating XPath from XML Using XSLT

When working with XML data, a common task is to extract a specific element's path, known as the XPath. This is particularly useful for navigating through complex XML structures when you need to access or manipulate specific information. In this guide, we'll explore how to generate XPath using XSLT (eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations) by walking through a practical example.

Problem Overview

Suppose you have the following XML structure:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In this XML input, you want to generate the XPath for the element tagged as FirstName which is nested within Member and MemberInfo. The expected output for the XPath is:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Now, let's dive into the solution by creating an XSLT stylesheet that will accomplish this task.

Creating the XSLT Stylesheet

Step 1: Define the XSLT Header

Your XSLT stylesheet needs to start with the correct declarations. Here's how you can set up the basic structure:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 2: Match the Root Element

Next, you will match the root element of the XML input, which is XMLInput:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 3: Iterate Over the Specified Element

Now, you need to find the element matching the name specified in the Element tag. You can do this by selecting it with XPath:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Step 4: Generate the XPath

Within this for-each loop, you will generate the XPath leading up to the matched element. Use ancestor-or-self::* to construct the path. However, you should exclude any SampleXML ancestor to avoid including it in the path.

Here is how that looks in XSLT:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Complete XSLT Code

Combining all the parts together, your complete XSLT code will look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Conclusion

Using this simple yet powerful XSLT approach, you can efficiently generate XPath for any specified XML element. By following these steps, you can adapt the solution for different elements and XML structures. This methodology not only saves time but also ensures accuracy when working with XML data.

With practice, you'll find that mastering XSLT can significantly enhance your XML processing capabilities. Happy coding!