METHODS

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 <xsl:value select="$varname" /> 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

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>