XML::XSLT(3) 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.
xsl_output_method
Get or set the <xsl:output method= attribute. Valid arguments are 'html', 'text' and 'xml'
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                   partial or from literal text in the stylesheet.

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 <[email protected]>

Egon Willighagen <[email protected]>

Mark A. Hershberger <[email protected]>

Bron Gondwana <[email protected]>

Jonathan Stowe <[email protected]>