Lost Variable Inheritance - why?

[ptc-3050150]

I'm tracking down problems with using the Army LOGSA v1.5 XML stylesheets in Arbortext 5.4 M020.

I've tracked down a problem with the PE crashing on the tables stylesheet to a lack of an inherited table value. This happens in a couple of places with a couple different variables (rowsep and colsep that I know of so far).

Can any of you see why $rowsep is losing its inherited value? The workaround at the moment is to give every single row a rowsep (ditto with colsep). Setting it in the table tag is not sufficient.

Here is where it dies if rowsep = " with the error "Cannot convert string " to a double":

<xsl:if test="(($frame" ==" 'all'=" or=" $frame="topbot" or=" $frame="bottom" )=" and=" $lastrow="0)" or=" <b=">$rowsep!=0">

Here's the code fragment that sets $rowsep followed by inherited.table.attribute template followed by get-attribute template

<xsl:variable name="&lt;b">rowsep">
<xsl:call-template name="inherited.table.attribute">
<xsl:with-param name="entry" select="."> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="colnum" select="$entry.colnum"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="&lt;b">rowsep"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>

<xsl:template name="inherited.table.attribute">
<xsl:param name="entry" select="."> </xsl:param>
<xsl:param name="colnum" select="0"> </xsl:param>
<xsl:param name="attribute" select="colsep"> </xsl:param>
<xsl:variable name="entry.value">
<xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
<xsl:with-param name="element" select="$entry"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="row.value">
<xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
<xsl:with-param name="element" select="$entry/ancestor::row[1]"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="span.value">
<xsl:if test="$entry/@spanname">
<xsl:variable name="spanname" select="$entry/@spanname"> </xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="spanspec" select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup/spanspec[@spanname=$spanname]"> </xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="span.colspec" select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup/colspec[@colname=$spanspec/@namest]"> </xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="spanspec.value">
<xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
<xsl:with-param name="element" select="$spanspec"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="scolspec.value">
<xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
<xsl:with-param name="element" select="$span.colspec"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="$spanspec.value" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$spanspec.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:when test="$scolspec.value" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$scolspec.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise> </xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:if>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="namest.value">
<xsl:if test="$entry/@namest">
<xsl:variable name="namest" select="$entry/@namest"> </xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="colspec" select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup/colspec[@colname=$namest]"> </xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="namest.value">
<xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
<xsl:with-param name="element" select="$colspec"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="$namest.value">
<xsl:value-of select="$namest.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise> </xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:if>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:variable name="tgroup.value">
<xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
<xsl:with-param name="element" select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup[1]"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="$entry.value" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$entry.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:when test="$row.value" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$row.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:when test="$span.value" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$span.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:when test="$namest.value" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$namest.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:when test="$colnum"> 0">
<xsl:variable name="calc.colvalue">
<xsl:call-template name="colnum.colspec">
<xsl:with-param name="colnum" select="$colnum"> </xsl:with-param>
<xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
</xsl:call-template>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:choose>
<xsl:when test="$calc.colvalue" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$calc.colvalue"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
<xsl:value-of select="$tgroup.value"/">
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
<xsl:value-of select="$tgroup.value"/">
</xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template name="get-attribute">
<xsl:param name="element" select="."> </xsl:param>
<xsl:param name="attribute" select=""> </xsl:param>
<xsl:for-each select="$element/@*">
<xsl:if test="local-name(.)" ==" $attribute&quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="."/">
</xsl:if>
</xsl:for-each>
</xsl:template>

===== END CODE snippet =====

[bibach]

John,

This stylesheet doesn't look for rowsep on the table tag, so try
setting the rowsep attribute on the tgroup tag, instead.

As a side note, to the list as a whole, I believe PE throwing an error
in this case is not compliant with the XPath/XSLT standard. This
would be coming from Saxon, right? I find that kind of surprising...

-Brandon

Brandon Ibach
Developer, Single-Sourcing Solutions, Inc.

On Wed, Jan 6, 2010 at 10:25 AM, John Jarrett
<-> wrote:
> I'm tracking down problems with using the Army LOGSA v1.5 XML stylesheets in
> Arbortext 5.4 M020.
>
> I've tracked down a problem with the PE crashing on the tables stylesheet to
> a lack of an inherited table value. This happens in a couple of places with
> a couple different variables (rowsep and colsep that I know of so far).
>
> Can any of you see why $rowsep is losing its inherited value? The
> workaround at the moment is to give every single row a rowsep (ditto with
> colsep). Setting it in the table tag is not sufficient.
>
> Here is where it dies if rowsep = " with the error "Cannot convert string
> " to a double":
>
> <xsl:if test="(($frame" ==" 'all'=" or=" $frame="topbot" or=" $frame="bottom" )<br="/>> and $lastrow=0) or $rowsep!=0">
>
> Here's the code fragment that sets $rowsep followed by
> inherited.table.attribute template followed by get-attribute template
>
> <xsl:variable name="rowsep">
> <xsl:call-template name="inherited.table.attribute">
> <xsl:with-param name="entry" select="."> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="colnum" select="$entry.colnum">
> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="rowsep">
> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
>
>
>
> <xsl:template name="inherited.table.attribute">
> <xslaram name="entry" select="."> </xslaram>
> <xslaram name="colnum" select="0"> </xslaram>
> <xslaram name="attribute" select="colsep"> </xslaram>
> <xsl:variable name="entry.value">
> <xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
> <xsl:with-param name="element" select="$entry">
> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute">
> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="row.value">
> <xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
> <xsl:with-param name="element"&lt;br"/>> select="$entry/ancestor::row[1]"> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute">
> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="span.value">
> <xsl:if test="$entry/@spanname">
> <xsl:variable name="spanname" select="$entry/@spanname">
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="spanspec"&lt;br"/>> select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup/spanspec[@spanname=$spanname]">
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="span.colspec"&lt;br"/>> select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup/colspec[@colname=$spanspec/@namest]">
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="spanspec.value">
> <xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
> <xsl:with-param name="element" select="$spanspec">
> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute"&lt;br"/>> select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="scolspec.value">
> <xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
> <xsl:with-param name="element"&lt;br"/>> select="$span.colspec"> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute"&lt;br"/>> select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:choose>
> <xsl:when test="$spanspec.value" !=" &quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="$spanspec.value"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsl:when test="$scolspec.value" !=" &quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="$scolspec.value"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsltherwise> </xsltherwise>
> </xsl:choose>
> </xsl:if>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="namest.value">
> <xsl:if test="$entry/@namest">
> <xsl:variable name="namest" select="$entry/@namest">
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="colspec"&lt;br"/>> select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup/colspec[@colname=$namest]"> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="namest.value">
> <xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
> <xsl:with-param name="element" select="$colspec">
> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute"&lt;br"/>> select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:choose>
> <xsl:when test="$namest.value">
> <xsl:value-of select="$namest.value"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsltherwise> </xsltherwise>
> </xsl:choose>
> </xsl:if>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:variable name="tgroup.value">
> <xsl:call-template name="get-attribute">
> <xsl:with-param name="element"&lt;br"/>> select="$entry/ancestor::tgroup[1]"> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute" select="$attribute">
> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:choose>
> <xsl:when test="$entry.value" !=" &quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="$entry.value"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsl:when test="$row.value" !=" &quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="$row.value"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsl:when test="$span.value" !=" &quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="$span.value"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsl:when test="$namest.value" !=" &quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="$namest.value"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsl:when test="$colnum"> 0">
> <xsl:variable name="calc.colvalue">
> <xsl:call-template name="colnum.colspec">
> <xsl:with-param name="colnum" select="$colnum">
> </xsl:with-param>
> <xsl:with-param name="attribute"&lt;br"/>> select="$attribute"> </xsl:with-param>
> </xsl:call-template>
> </xsl:variable>
> <xsl:choose>
> <xsl:when test="$calc.colvalue" !=" &quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="$calc.colvalue"/">
> </xsl:when>
> <xsltherwise>
> <xsl:value-of select="$tgroup.value"/">
> </xsltherwise>
> </xsl:choose>
> </xsl:when>
> <xsltherwise>
> <xsl:value-of select="$tgroup.value"/">
> </xsltherwise>
> </xsl:choose>
> </xsl:template>
>
>
> <xsl:template name="get-attribute">
> <xslaram name="element" select="."> </xslaram>
> <xslaram name="attribute" select=""> </xslaram>
> <xsl:for-each select="$element/@*">
> <xsl:if test="local-name(.)" ==" $attribute&quot;=">
> <xsl:value-of select="."/">
> </xsl:if>
> </xsl:for-each>
> </xsl:template>
>
> ===== END CODE snippet =====
>
> -----End Original Message-----

[ptc-953343]

On a quick look I think the problem is as you state, however the $rowsep is being set it is not finding a value, so in the test you are trying to compare to a number something that isn't or can't be changed. Probably need a test ahead of this to say if rowsep = '' then skip or do something else. ..dan --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Danny Vint Specializing in Panoramic Images

[bibach]

Hey, Dan...

This is where I think the XSLT processor is not behaving correctly.
If the value of $rowsep is the empty string, or otherwise not a valid
number format, then the XPath 1.0 spec says that the result of
converting it to a number is the special value "Not a Number" (NaN).
NaN, by definition, is not equal to anything (including itself), so
the "$rowsep!=0" comparison should return true without an error.

Like I said, if Saxon is processing the transform, which I believe
should be the case, I'm surprised, as I think it's generally pretty
good about standards compliance. *shrug*

All that said, changing " $rowsep!=0 " to " $rowsep!='0' " or even "
normalize-space($rowsep)!='0' " would probably sidestep this
unfortunate behavior on the part of the XSLT processor.

-Brandon 🙂

[ClayHelberg]

Hi Brandon--

You're right, I think this is a standards compliance issue (and it is surprising to see it in Saxon). Then again, this behavior probably makes debugging stylesheets a lot easier. It's hard to think of a situation where trying to convert " to a number would *not* indicate some kind of stylesheet bug.

Your fixes should work, but I thought I'd point out that they make an assumption: that an empty string value for rowsep should be treated as different from 0, i.e. wanting a row separator. In at least some cases, it seems more natural to treat the empty string as equivalent to 0, i.e. no separator. In that case, you'd want something more like this in place of ($rowsep!=0):

(normalize-space($rowsep)!='' and normalize-space($rowsep)!='0')

Even better would be a change to the inherited.table.attribute template to provide a default if there are absolutely no rowsep attrs anywhere in the table hierarchy. For example add a stylesheet parameter to set the rowsep default and then use it if the tgroup.value (and all the others) are empty:

<xsl:param name="rowsep.default">0</xsl:param>

...

<xsl:template name="inherited.table.attribute">
...
<xsl:choose>
....
<xsl:when test="$tgroup.value" !=" &quot;=">
<xsl:value-of select="$tgroup.value"/">
</xsl:when>
<xsl:otherwise>
<xsl:value-of select="$rowsep.default"/">
</xsl:otherwise>
<xsl:choose>
</xsl:template>

--Clay

[ptc-953343]

Why do you say saxon? is PE using saxon in here somewhere? I use saxon on a lot of standalone projects, it seems to me I have seen the error before and I don't think it was from PE. Anyway I think we have a stylesheet built with one processor but not working on another. ..dan --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Danny Vint Specializing in Panoramic Images

[bibach]

Hey, Clay...

True, it could make debugging somewhat easier, though it may be
somewhat unintuitive for $rowsep=0 to throw an error when $rowsep='0'
would not, given XPath's weakly-typed, convert-on-the-fly nature.
*shrug*

Just saw Dan's reply about Saxon... Dan, I believe Saxon is the
default engine that is currently bundled with both Editor and PE for
XSLT transforms.

My fixes were intended to preserve the semantics of the existing
transform, which appears to be compliant with the CALS table semantics
that row separators are on by default unless specified otherwise in
the markup or a "stylesheet" (an intentionally vague concept in the
semantics, as I recall).

Changes to the inherited.table.attribute template must be made with
care, as it handles a bunch of different attributes, so providing a
default for rowsep would require checking to make sure the current
call is looking for that particular attribute.

Interestingly, that template looks much like a same-named one in Norm
Walsh's Docbook stylesheets, though the latest version of those has a
somewhat more sophisticated version that checks for values on tbody
and table, as well as providing the CALS-compliant defaults for rowsep
and colsep. Incorporating some of these changes would probably
resolve this issue, as well.

-Brandon 🙂

[ptc-3050150]

Thanks guys!

a. SAXParse is what is throwing the error - or, more precisely, that is what is reporting it to me via the PE.

b. Changing $rowsep=0 to $rowsep='0' did work

c. Setting rowsep and colsep for the tgroup also worked - although, unlike the table tag attributes, the writer can't see them - nor the poor soul composing the thousand files into one and chasing down all the errors!

So I'll leave "b" in place for now and save the fuller fixes y'all suggested until after I run down the dozen other errors it is still throwing. Like the tables now print BUT with File | Print Composed the graphics are in table cells but the cells bound the text, not the graphic, so the graphics are all over the place...and under File | Compose | PDF the graphics don't print at all - oh, wait, that one isn't one of the errors Saxon is throwing *sigh*

Appreciate the help very much - maybe next week I'll be able to print enough to show the Army that we really are working on their manual!

John T. Jarrett CDT
Tech Writer II, Tech Pubs, Integrated Logistics Support,Land & Armaments/Global Tactical Systems

T832.673.2147 ext 1147 | M 512.736.7031 | -
BAE Systems, 5000 I-10 West, Sealy, Texas USA 77474
www.baesystems.com

[ptc-953343]

At 01:44 PM 1/6/2010, you wrote:
>Just saw Dan's reply about Saxon... Dan, I believe Saxon is the
>default engine that is currently bundled with both Editor and PE for
>XSLT transforms.

I'm stuck with FOSIs so I've never seen PE in action with XSL
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Danny Vint

Panoramic Photography