Скачать или смотреть How to Set Namespace in XML with XSLT: Transforming Elements to Attributes

Discover how to set a `namespace` in XML and transform elements to attributes using XSLT. Learn techniques to achieve clean and structured output without unwanted namespaces.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/63639816/ asked by the user 'Stefan' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/8255951/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/63640259/ provided by the user 'Martin Honnen' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/252228/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Set Namespace in XML with XSLT: Transforming Elements to Attributes

When dealing with XML, you may encounter situations where you need to manipulate the structure of your documents significantly. A common task is converting elements into attributes, especially when you also need to set namespaces. This guide will guide you through this process using XSLT, focusing on a specific use case of converting an XML structure while correctly applying namespaces.

The Problem at Hand

You have an XML document structured as follows:

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

The goal is to:

Remove the <dataroot> element.

Change the <version> element into an attribute.

Define a custom namespace for <BISTA>.

The desired output should look like this:

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

However, you faced several issues such as:

An empty namespace on <ID>.

An unwanted namespace declaration from the original XML.

Incorrect indentation in the output.

The Solution

To achieve the desired output, we need to create a proper XSLT stylesheet that precisely performs these transformations and namespace management. Below, I’ll outline the complete steps and the revised XSLT you should use.

Step 1: Define the XSLT Stylesheet

Here’s the improved XSLT code that addresses the issues mentioned:

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

Step 2: Explanation of the Code

Namespace Declaration: The new-namespace parameter is defined at the top of the stylesheet, allowing you to update the namespace easily if needed.

Strip Spaces: The <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/> directive ensures that unnecessary whitespace is minimized in the output.

Templates: Different templates are used to match various elements in the XML:

The first template matches the root and applies templates recursively.

The second template modifies <BISTA>, setting its new namespace and attributes correctly.

The third one converts the <version> into an attribute of <BISTA> and removes it from child elements.

The last template ensures other elements retain the new namespace.

Fixing Output Issues

With the above XSLT implementation, you should see:

Proper namespace application for all descendant elements.

Clean indentation.

No leftover empty namespaces or unwanted attributes.

Conclusion

Using XSLT to convert elements into attributes while managing namespaces can be tricky, especially for complex XML structures. However, by understanding how to apply templates correctly and manage namespaces, you can successfully transform your XML data into the desired format.

Feel free to ask any questions or share your experiences with XML and XSLT transformations in the comments below!