NAME

XML::XSLT - A perl module for processing XSLT

SYNOPSIS

 use XML::XSLT;
 my $xslt = XML::XSLT->new ($xsl, warnings => 1);
 $xslt->transform ($xmlfile);
 print $xslt->toString;
 $xslt->dispose();

DESCRIPTION

This module implements the W3C's XSLT specification. The goal is full implementation of this spec, but we have not yet achieved that. However, it already works well. See XML::XSLT Commands for the current status of each command.

XML::XSLT makes use of XML::DOM and LWP::Simple, while XML::DOM uses XML::Parser. Therefore XML::Parser, XML::DOM and LWP::Simple have to be installed properly for XML::XSLT to run.

Specifying Sources

The stylesheets and the documents may be passed as filenames, file handles regular strings, string references or DOM-trees. Functions that require sources (e.g. new), will accept either a named parameter or simply the argument.

Either of the following are allowed:

 my $xslt = XML::XSLT->new($xsl);
 my $xslt = XML::XSLT->new(Source => $xsl);

In documentation, the named parameter `Source' is always shown, but it is never required.

METHODS

new(Source => $xml [, %args])

Returns a new XSLT parser object. Valid flags are:

DOMparser_args
Hashref of arguments to pass to the XML::DOM::Parser object's parse method.
variables
Hashref of variables and their values for the stylesheet.
base
Base of URL for file inclusion.
debug
Turn on debugging messages.
warnings
Turn on warning messages.
indent
Starting amount of indention for debug messages. Defaults to 0.
indent_incr
Amount to indent each level of debug message. Defaults to 1.
open_xml(Source => $xml [, %args])

Gives the XSLT object new XML to process. Returns an XML::DOM object corresponding to the XML.

base
The base URL to use for opening documents.
parser_args
Arguments to pase to the parser.
open_xsl(Source => $xml, [, %args])

Gives the XSLT object a new stylesheet to use in processing XML. Returns an XML::DOM object corresponding to the stylesheet. Any arguments present are passed to the XML::DOM::Parser.

base
The base URL to use for opening documents.
parser_args
Arguments to pase to the parser.
process(%variables)
Processes the previously loaded XML through the stylesheet using the variables set in the argument.
transform(Source => $xml [, %args])
Processes the given XML through the stylesheet. Returns an XML::DOM object corresponding to the transformed XML. Any arguments present are passed to the XML::DOM::Parser.
serve(Source => $xml [, %args])

Processes the given XML through the stylesheet. Returns a string containg the result. Example:

  use XML::XSLT qw(serve);
  $xslt = XML::XSLT->new($xsl);
  print $xslt->serve $xml;
http_headers

If true, then prepends the appropriate HTTP headers (e.g. Content-Type, Content-Length);

Defaults to true.

xml_declaration

If true, then the result contains the appropriate <?xml?> header.

Defaults to true.

xml_version

The version of the XML.

Defaults to 1.0.

doctype
The type of DOCTYPE this document is. Defaults to SYSTEM.
toString
Returns the result of transforming the XML with the stylesheet as a string.
to_dom
Returns the result of transforming the XML with the stylesheet as an XML::DOM object.
media_type
Returns the media type (aka mime type) of the object.
dispose
Executes the dispose method on each XML::DOM object.

XML::XSLT Commands

xsl:apply-imports no
Not supported yet.
xsl:apply-templates limited

Attribute 'select' is supported to the same extent as xsl:value-of supports path selections.

Not supported yet: - attribute 'mode' - xsl:sort and xsl:with-param in content

xsl:attribute partially

Adds an attribute named to the value of the attribute 'name' and as value the stringified content-template.

Not supported yet: - attribute 'namespace'

xsl:attribute-set yes
Partially
xsl:call-template yes

Takes attribute 'name' which selects xsl:template's by name.

Weak support: - xsl:with-param (select attrib not supported)

Not supported yet: - xsl:sort

xsl:choose yes
Tests sequentially all xsl:whens until one succeeds or until an xsl:otherwise is found. Limited test support, see xsl:when
xsl:comment yes
Supported.
xsl:copy partially
xsl:copy-of limited
Attribute 'select' functions as well as with xsl:value-of
xsl:decimal-format no
Not supported yet.
xsl:element yes
xsl:fallback no
Not supported yet.
xsl:for-each limited

Attribute 'select' functions as well as with xsl:value-of

Not supported yet: - xsl:sort in content

xsl:if limited
Identical to xsl:when, but outside xsl:choose context.
xsl:import no
Not supported yet.
xsl:include yes
Takes attribute href, which can be relative-local, absolute-local as well as an URL (preceded by identifier http:).
xsl:key no
Not supported yet.
xsl:message no
Not supported yet.
xsl:namespace-alias no
Not supported yet.
xsl:number no
Not supported yet.
xsl:otherwise yes
Supported.
xsl:output limited
Only the initial xsl:output element is used. The "text" output method is not supported, but shouldn't be difficult to implement. Only the "doctype-public", "doctype-system", "omit-xml-declaration", "method", and "encoding" attributes have any support.
xsl:param experimental
Synonym for xsl:variable (currently). See xsl:variable for support.
xsl:preserve-space no
Not supported yet. Whitespace is always preserved.
xsl:processing-instruction yes
Supported.
xsl:sort no
Not supported yet.
xsl:strip-space no
Not supported yet. No whitespace is stripped.
xsl:stylesheet limited
Minor namespace support: other namespace than 'xsl:' for xsl-commands is allowed if xmlns-attribute is present. xmlns URL is verified. Other attributes are ignored.
xsl:template limited

Attribute 'name' and 'match' are supported to minor extend. ('name' must match exactly and 'match' must match with full path or no path)

Not supported yet: - attributes 'priority' and 'mode'

xsl:text yes
Supported.
xsl:transform limited
Synonym for xsl:stylesheet
xsl:value-of limited

Inserts attribute or element values. Limited support:

<xsl:value-of select="."/>

<xsl:value-of select="/root-elem"/>

<xsl:value-of select="elem"/>

<xsl:value-of select="//elem"/>

<xsl:value-of select="elem[n]"/>

<xsl:value-of select="//elem[n]"/>

<xsl:value-of select="@attr"/>

<xsl:value-of select="text()"/>

<xsl:value-of select="processing-instruction()"/>

<xsl:value-of select="comment()"/>

and combinations of these.

Not supported yet: - attribute 'disable-output-escaping'

xsl:variable experimental
Very limited. It should be possible to define a variable and use it with &lt;xsl:value select="$varname" /&gt; within the same template.
xsl:when limited

Only inside xsl:choose. Limited test support:

<xsl:when test="@attr='value'">

<xsl:when test="elem='value'">

<xsl:when test="path/[@attr='value']">

<xsl:when test="path/[elem='value']">

<xsl:when test="path">

path is supported to the same extend as with xsl:value-of

xsl:with-param experimental
It is currently not functioning. (or is it?)

SUPPORT

General information, bug reporting tools, the latest version, mailing lists, etc. can be found at the XML::XSLT homepage:

  http://xmlxslt.sourceforge.net/

DEPRECATIONS

Methods and interfaces from previous versions that are not documented in this version are deprecated. Each of these deprecations can still be used but will produce a warning when the deprecation is first used. You can use the old interfaces without warnings by passing new() the flag use_deprecated. Example:

 $parser = XML::XSLT->new($xsl, "FILE",
                          use_deprecated => 1);

The deprecated methods will disappear by the time a 1.0 release is made.

The deprecated methods are :

output_string
use toString instead
result_string
use toString instead
output
use toString instead
result
use toString instead
result_mime_type
use media_type instead
output_mime_type
use media_type instead
result_tree
use to_dom instead
output_tree
use to_dom instead
transform_document
use transform instead
process_project
use process instead
open_project
use Source argument to new() and transform instead.
print_output
use serve() instead.

BUGS

Yes.

HISTORY

Geert Josten and Egon Willighagen developed and maintained XML::XSLT up to version 0.22. At that point, Mark Hershberger started moving the project to Sourceforge and began working on it with Bron Gondwana.

LICENCE

Copyright (c) 1999 Geert Josten & Egon Willighagen. All Rights Reserverd. This module is free software, and may be distributed under the same terms and conditions as Perl.

AUTHORS

Geert Josten <gjosten@sci.kun.nl>

Egon Willighagen <egonw@sci.kun.nl>

Mark A. Hershberger <mah@everybody.org>

Bron Gondwana <perlcode@brong.net>

Jonathan Stowe <jns@gellyfish.com>

SEE ALSO

XML::DOM, LWP::Simple, XML::Parser