XSLT Basics: Templates, Match/Select, and HTML Output
Unit 4âĸCLO04
Learning Objectives
Course Learning Outcomes
CLO04
Course Outcomes
CO04
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Introduction
XSLT transforms XML into other formats such as HTML. XSLT is declarative: you describe output rules for parts of the source tree using templates. This topic covers templates, XPath selection, and producing a simple HTML report.
The Basics
XSLT idea
XSLT is a rule-based transformation language: when a node matches a rule, a template generates output.
Technical Details
Minimal XSLT structure
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method="html" indent="yes"/>
<xsl:template match="/">
<html><body>
<h1>Report</h1>
<xsl:apply-templates select="library/book"/>
</body></html>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="book">
<p><xsl:value-of select="title"/></p>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
Examples
Input XML
<library>
<book id="b1"><title>XML</title></book>
</library>
Real-World Use
Practical
- Create XML input.
- Write XSLT that generates an HTML table.
- Add one sort.
đ For exams
Exam
- Define XSLT.
- Explain match vs select.
⨠Key points
Takeaways
- XSLT uses templates and XPath selection.
- Start from the root template and delegate with apply-templates.