how to skip elements in xslt based on position() - xslt

Question

Here is my xslt:
This one works, but only if hardcode '1,2,'
<xsl:template match="row[contains('1,2,',concat(position(),','))]"
working xslt:
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" exclude-result-prefixes="msxsl" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt">
<xsl:output method="xml" indent="yes"/>
<xsl:param name="positions"/>
<xsl:template match="#* | node()">
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:apply-templates select="#* | node()"/>
</xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="row[contains('1,2,',concat(position(),','))]" name="skiprow"/>
</xsl:stylesheet>
But I want to pass the position values as parameter. But it doesn't work.
I checked the value of the parameter by adding a line, the parameter is good.
<xsl:value-of select="$positions"/>
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:apply-templates select="#* | node()"/>
</xsl:copy>
Non-working xslt:
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" exclude-result-prefixes="msxsl" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt">
<xsl:output method="xml" indent="yes"/>
<xsl:param name="positions"/>
<xsl:template match="#* | node()">
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:apply-templates select="#* | node()"/>
</xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="row[contains('$positions',concat(position(),','))]" name="skiprow"/>
</xsl:stylesheet>
Sample Xml:
<root>
<row>
<column1>7004275</column1>
<column2>NUVCFDK</column2>
</row>
<row>
<column1>1001459</column1>
<column2>CAN</column2>
<column3>12</column3>
<column4>646.80</column4>
<column5>23-06-2009</column5>
<column6>31-12-2009</column6>
<column7/>
</row>
<row>
<column1>1001461</column1>
<column2>CAN</column2>
<column3>1</column3>
<column4>9.50</column4>
<column5>23-06-2009</column5>
<column6>31-12-2009</column6>
<column7/>
</row>
</root>

Answer 1

Non-working xslt:
<xsl:template match="row[contains('$positions',concat(position(),','))]" name="skiprow"/>
In XSLT 1.0 a match pattern is forbidden to contain a variable/parameter reference.
Use instead:
<xsl:template match="row>
<xsl:if test=
"not(contains($vPositions, concat(position(),',')))">
<xsl:call-template name="identity"/>
<xsl:if>
</xsl:template>
The complete transformation becomes:
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output omit-xml-declaration="yes" indent="yes"/>
<xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>
<xsl:param name="vPositions" select="'1,2,'"/>
<xsl:template match="node()|#*" name="identity">
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:apply-templates select="node()|#*"/>
</xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="row">
<xsl:if test=
"not(contains($vPositions, concat(position(),',')))">
<xsl:call-template name="identity"/>
</xsl:if>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
and when this transformation is applied on the provided XML document:
<root>
<row>
<column1>7004275</column1>
<column2>NUVCFDK</column2>
</row>
<row>
<column1>1001459</column1>
<column2>CAN</column2>
<column3>12</column3>
<column4>646.80</column4>
<column5>23-06-2009</column5>
<column6>31-12-2009</column6>
<column7/>
</row>
<row>
<column1>1001461</column1>
<column2>CAN</column2>
<column3>1</column3>
<column4>9.50</column4>
<column5>23-06-2009</column5>
<column6>31-12-2009</column6>
<column7/>
</row>
</root>
the wanted, correct result is produced (rows 1 and 2 "deleted"):
<root>
<row>
<column1>1001461</column1>
<column2>CAN</column2>
<column3>1</column3>
<column4>9.50</column4>
<column5>23-06-2009</column5>
<column6>31-12-2009</column6>
<column7/>
</row>
</root>
Do note, however, that your conditions aren't strong enough -- a parameter value of "11,13," will delete four rows -- 1, 11, 3 and 13.
A good condition to use is:
not(contains($vPositions, concat(',',position(),',')))
That means that the parameter must start and end with the comma character.
Here is the complete, corrected transformation:
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output omit-xml-declaration="yes" indent="yes"/>
<xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>
<xsl:param name="vPositions" select="',1,2,'"/>
<xsl:template match="node()|#*" name="identity">
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:apply-templates select="node()|#*"/>
</xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="row">
<xsl:if test=
"not(contains($vPositions, concat(',',position(),',')))">
<xsl:call-template name="identity"/>
</xsl:if>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>