Replacing dummy attribute with string of xml

[jtric]

Very new to XML/XSL, so please forgive me if this is an incredibly simple question. I've been pulling my hair out over this for several days now.

I'm working on an internal application that takes the output from a custom Excel spreadsheet, and creates a Final Cut Pro sequence in XML. Due to the way Excel handles nested repeating elements, I need to find a way to replace a dummy element I have created with a whole series of repeating elements. I could use a simple find and replace text editor method, but I would prefer to take care of everything in the xslt transform if possible. Any ideas?

Thanks!


My existing XSL (which just strips out the empty tags) is posted at the bottom.

The code is as follows.

<effect>
    <name>Text</name>
    <effectid>Text</effectid>
    <effectcategory>Text</effectcategory>
    <effecttype>generator</effecttype>
    <mediatype>video</mediatype>
    <parameter>
              <parameterid>str</parameterid>
          <name>Text</name>
          <value>Tuesday at 10:00</value>
    </parameter>
    <dummyattr>replace_me</dummyattr>
</effect>
 

I need to replace <dummyattr>replace_me</dummyattr>
with the following (these are not variables, elements and data will always be the same):

<parameter>
      <parameterid>fontname</parameterid>
      <name>Font</name>
      <value>ITC Officina Sans</value>
</parameter>
<parameter>
      <parameterid>fontsize</parameterid>
      <name>Size</name>
      <value>39</value>
</parameter>
<parameter>
      <parameterid>fontstyle</parameterid>
      <name>Style</name>
      <value>1</value>
      </parameter>
<parameter>
      <parameterid>fontalign</parameterid>
      <name>Alignment</name>
      <value>1</value>
</parameter>
<parameter>
      <parameterid>fontcolor</parameterid>
      <name>Font Color</name>
      <value>
            <alpha>255</alpha>
        <red>1</red>
            <green>2</green>
            <blue>3</blue>
      </value>
</parameter>
<parameter>
      <parameterid>origin</parameterid>
      <name>Origin</name>
      <value>
            <horiz>-0.101389</horiz>
            <vert>0.383604</vert>
      </value>
</parameter>

Existing XSL:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">    
    <xsl:output method="xml" indent="yes"/>    
    <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>    
    <xsl:template match="node()//*">        
        <xsl:if test="normalize-space(.)">            
            <xsl:copy>                
                <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>            
            </xsl:copy>        
        </xsl:if>    
    </xsl:template>    
    <xsl:template match="@*|node()">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>        
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

[dorinbogdan]

Welcome to TSDN...

I'm not sure what is the desired output.
Please post the final structure you expect to obtain too.

[jtric]

Welcome to TSDN...

I'm not sure what is the desired output.
Please post the final structure you expect to obtain too.

Thanks!

Sorry, here is the final structure:

<effect>
    <name>Text</name>
    <effectid>Text</effectid>
    <effectcategory>Text</effectcategory>
    <effecttype>generator</effecttype>
    <mediatype>video</mediatype>
    <parameter>
              <parameterid>str</parameterid>
          <name>Text</name>
          <value>Tuesday at 10:00</value>
    </parameter>
    <parameter>
                 <parameterid>fontname</parameterid>
                 <name>Font</name>
                 <value>ITC Officina Sans</value>
        </parameter>
        <parameter>
                <parameterid>fontsize</parameterid>
                <name>Size</name>
                <value>39</value>
         </parameter>
         <parameter>
               <parameterid>fontstyle</parameterid>
               <name>Style</name>
               <value>1</value>
         </parameter>
         <parameter>
              <parameterid>fontalign</parameterid>
              <name>Alignment</name>
              <value>1</value>
         </parameter>
         <parameter>
              <parameterid>fontcolor</parameterid>
              <name>Font Color</name>
              <value>
                  <alpha>255</alpha>
              <red>1</red>
                  <green>2</green>
                  <blue>3</blue>
              </value>
         </parameter>
         <parameter>
             <parameterid>origin</parameterid>
              <name>Origin</name>
              <value>
                    <horiz>-0.101389</horiz>
                    <vert>0.383604</vert>
              </value>
          </parameter>
</effect>
 

[dorinbogdan]

So you will use 2 XML files to get the result.
Then you need a merge/concat method.
For the moment I only can point you to some links.
See if
Merge two files or
Merging XML Documents help.

[jtric]

So you will use 2 XML files to get the result.
Then you need a merge/concat method.
For the moment I only can point you to some links.
See if
Merge two files or
Merging XML Documents help.

Solution two in that link looks like exactly what I need. I will tool around with it.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! Will post my solution if I'm able to figure it out.

[jtric]

Solution two in that link looks like exactly what I need. I will tool around with it.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! Will post my solution if I'm able to figure it out.

Not sure who else might benefit from this, but I figured I would post what ended up working. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction.

(I did not end up needing to use the dummy tag)

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">    
    <xsl:output method="xml" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" indent="yes"/>    
    <xsl:variable name="textinfo">        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontname</parameterid>            
            <name>Font</name>            
            <value>ITC Officina Sans</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontsize</parameterid>            
            <name>Size</name>            
            <value>39</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontstyle</parameterid>            
            <name>Style</name>            
            <value>1</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontalign</parameterid>            
            <name>Alignment</name>            
            <value>1</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontcolor</parameterid>            
            <name>Font Color</name>            
            <value>                
                <alpha>255</alpha>                
                <red>1</red>                
                <green>2</green>                
                <blue>3</blue>            
            </value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>origin</parameterid>            
            <name>Origin</name>            
            <value>                
                <horiz>-0.101389</horiz>                
                <vert>0.383604</vert>            
            </value>        
        </parameter>    
    </xsl:variable>    
    <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>    
    <xsl:template match="node()//*">        
        <xsl:if test="normalize-space(.)">            
            <xsl:copy>                
                <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>            
            </xsl:copy>        
        </xsl:if>    
    </xsl:template>    
    <xsl:template match="//generatoritem/effect">    
        <xsl:copy>    
            <xsl:copy-of select="*"/> 
            <xsl:copy-of select="$textinfo"/> 
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>    
    <xsl:template match="@*|node()">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>        
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

[dorinbogdan]

Glad to see it is working.

Who knows, sometime it may be helpful for others too.

[dorinbogdan]

Since the problem was solved I'll close the thread.

[dorinbogdan]

I re-open the thread in order to allow further comments or suggestions from other members or experts, as per adim request.

[jtric]

I'm glad that you re-opened the thread, as I seem to have borked my solution by adding what I thought was a simple modification.

The structure I am working with is essentially this (simplified, but this is the section I need to modify):

<xmeml>
   <sequence>
       <media>
          <video>
             <track>
                  <generatoritem id = "Text">
                   <name>Text</name>
                   <effect>
                        <name>Text</name>
                        <parameter>
                              <parameterid>Text</parameterid>
                         </parameter>
                   </effect>
                  </generatoritem>
               </track>
           <video>
        <media>
  <sequence>
<xmeml>

I need to insert two sets of tags that are held in variables in my xsl.
One goes in generatoritem/effect
One goes in generatoritem


The previous posts illustrate how I accomplished the former. I added the following to the xslt to accomplish the latter, thinking I understood fully how it worked.

<xsl:template match="generatoritem[@id='Text']">        
        <xsl:copy-of select="*"/>
        <xsl:copy-of select="$dropshadow"/>
</xsl:template>

However, when I add that, nothing gets added to generatoritem/effect and it seems that my generatoritem tags get stripped completely? Perhaps someone could point me in the right direction to fix this?

Thanks in advance for any guidance anyone can offer!

My full xsl is below:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">    
    <xsl:output method="xml" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" indent="yes"/>    
    <xsl:variable name="textinfo">        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontname</parameterid>            
            <name>Font</name>            
            <value>ITC Officina Sans</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontsize</parameterid>            
            <name>Size</name>            
            <value>39</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontstyle</parameterid>            
            <name>Style</name>            
            <value>1</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontalign</parameterid>            
            <name>Alignment</name>            
            <value>1</value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>fontcolor</parameterid>            
            <name>Font Color</name>            
            <value>                
                <alpha>255</alpha>                
                <red>1</red>                
                <green>2</green>                
                <blue>3</blue>            
            </value>        
        </parameter>        
        <parameter>            
            <parameterid>origin</parameterid>            
            <name>Origin</name>            
            <value>                
                <horiz>-0.101389</horiz>                
                <vert>0.383604</vert>            
            </value>        
        </parameter>    
    </xsl:variable>    
    <xsl:variable name="dropshadow">        
        <filter>            
            <effect>                
                <name>Drop Shadow</name>                
                <effectid>dropshadow</effectid>                
                <effectcategory>motion</effectcategory>                
                <effecttype>motion</effecttype>                
                <mediatype>video</mediatype>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>offset</parameterid>                    
                    <name>offset</name>                    
                    <value>0</value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>angle</parameterid>                    
                    <name>angle</name>                    
                    <value>135</value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>color</parameterid>                    
                    <name>color</name>                    
                    <value>                        
                        <alpha>0</alpha>                        
                        <red>255</red>                        
                        <green>255</green>                        
                        <blue>255</blue>                    
                    </value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>softness</parameterid>                    
                    <name>softness</name>                    
                    <value>36</value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>opacity</parameterid>                    
                    <name>opacity</name>                    
                    <value>100</value>                
                </parameter>            
            </effect>        
        </filter>    
    </xsl:variable>    
    <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>    
    <xsl:template match="node()//*">        
        <xsl:if test="normalize-space(.)">            
            <xsl:copy>                
                <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>            
            </xsl:copy>        
        </xsl:if>    
    </xsl:template>                
    <xsl:template match="generatoritem[@id='Text']/effect">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:copy-of select="*"/>            
            <xsl:copy-of select="$textinfo"/>        
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>    
    <xsl:template match="generatoritem[@id='Text']">        
        <xsl:copy-of select="*"/>
        <xsl:copy-of select="$dropshadow"/>
    </xsl:template>
    <xsl:template match="@*|node()">        
        <xsl:copy>
            <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>
        </xsl:copy>
    </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
 

[dorinbogdan]

I simplified th XSL to text only "generatoritem[@id='Text']/effect":
[html]<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">
<xsl:output method="xml" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" indent="yes"/>

<xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>
<xsl:template match="generatoritem[@id='Text']/effect">
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:copy-of select="*"/>
</xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>[/html]
and used this similar XML:
[html]<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="xmeml.xsl"?>
<xmeml>
<sequence>
<media>
<video>
<track>
<generatoritem id = "Text">
<name>Text1</name>
<effect>
<name>Text2</name>
<parameter>
<parameterid>Text3</parameterid>
</parameter>
</effect>
</generatoritem>
</track>
</video>
</media>
</sequence>
</xmeml>[/html]

When open the XML in IE and Firefox, it looks fine.

[jtric]

Thanks for your response. I must not have been exactly clear, sorry. As I noted earlier, I need to insert two sets of XML tags into two places in the existing XML. The XML tags are held in variables. I think I sort of got it working by changing from xsl: copy-of to xsl: apply-templates in one place... However I have no idea why that works.

I need the transform to insert the two variables ($textinfo and $dropshadow) into <generatoritem id="Text"> and the existing <generatoritem id="Text><effect>, as well as trip out all of the empty tags.

This (by changing the xsl: copy-of to xsl: apply-templates) works *except* that it strips id="text" from generatoritem.

If I change:

<xsl:template match="//generatoritem[@id='Text']">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:apply-templates select="*"/>            
            <xsl:copy-of select="$dropshadow"/>
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>    
 

to

<xsl:template match="//generatoritem[@id='Text']">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:apply-templates select="@*"/>            
            <xsl:copy-of select="$dropshadow"/>
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>    
 

It will keep the id="Text", but will not copy the $textinfo variable for some reason?

Appreciate any hints!

Here is the actual full XML and XSL I am working with:

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<xmeml xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" version="1">
    <sequence>
        <name>W01144</name>
        <duration>601</duration>
        <rate>
            <ntsc>TRUE</ntsc>
            <timebase>30</timebase>
        </rate>
        <media>
            <video>
                <track>
                    <clipitem id="5155-20-EINW">
                        <name>5155-20-EINW</name>
                        <duration>601</duration>
                        <in>0</in>
                        <out>601</out>
                        <start>0</start>
                        <end>901</end>
                        <anamorphic>FALSE</anamorphic>
                        <alphatype>none</alphatype>
                        <file id="EINW">
                            <name>EINW</name>
                            <pathurl>file://localhost/Volumes/MediaDrive/Jesse/promos/promo_media/video/5155-20-EINW</pathurl>
                            <duration>601</duration>
                        </file>
                        <filter>
                            <effect>
                                <name>Basic Motion</name>
                                <effectid>basic</effectid>
                                <effectcategory>motion</effectcategory>
                                <effecttype>motion</effecttype>
                                <mediatype>video</mediatype>
                                <parameter>
                                    <parameterid>center</parameterid>
                                    <name>Center</name>
                                    <value>
                                        <horiz>0</horiz>
                                        <vert>0</vert>
                                    </value>
                                </parameter>
                            </effect>
                        </filter>
                        <sourcetrack>
                            <mediatype>video</mediatype>
                        </sourcetrack>
                    </clipitem>
                    <generatoritem>
                        <effect>
                            <parameter/>
                        </effect>
                        <sourcetrack/>
                    </generatoritem>
                </track>
                <track>
                    <clipitem id="WCVWL3">
                        <name>WCVWL3</name>
                        <duration>300</duration>
                        <in>0</in>
                        <out>150</out>
                        <start>751</start>
                        <end>901</end>
                        <anamorphic>FALSE</anamorphic>
                        <alphatype>straight</alphatype>
                        <file id="L3WCVW">
                            <name>L3WCVW</name>
                            <pathurl>file://localhost/Volumes/MediaDrive/Jesse/promos/promo_media/lower3rd/wcvwlower3rd.mov</pathurl>
                            <duration>300</duration>
                        </file>
                        <filter>
                            <effect>
                                <name>Basic Motion</name>
                                <effectid>basic</effectid>
                                <effectcategory>motion</effectcategory>
                                <effecttype>motion</effecttype>
                                <mediatype>video</mediatype>
                                <parameter>
                                    <parameterid>center</parameterid>
                                    <name>Center</name>
                                    <value>
                                        <horiz>0</horiz>
                                        <vert>-0.00205761</vert>
                                    </value>
                                </parameter>
                            </effect>
                        </filter>
                        <sourcetrack>
                            <mediatype>video</mediatype>
                        </sourcetrack>
                    </clipitem>
                    <generatoritem>
                        <effect>
                            <parameter/>
                        </effect>
                        <sourcetrack/>
                    </generatoritem>
                </track>
                <track>
                    <clipitem>
                        <file/>
                        <filter>
                            <effect>
                                <parameter>
                                    <value/>
                                </parameter>
                            </effect>
                        </filter>
                        <sourcetrack/>
                    </clipitem>
                    <generatoritem id="Text">
                        <name>Text</name>
                        <duration>3600</duration>
                        <in>1650</in>
                        <out>1776</out>
                        <start>775</start>
                        <end>901</end>
                        <alphatype>black</alphatype>
                        <effect>
                            <name>Text</name>
                            <effectid>Text</effectid>
                            <effectcategory>Text</effectcategory>
                            <effecttype>generator</effecttype>
                            <mediatype>video</mediatype>
                            <parameter>
                                <parameterid>str</parameterid>
                                <name>Text</name>
                                <value>Tonight at 8:00</value>
                            </parameter>
                        </effect>
                        <sourcetrack>
                            <mediatype>video</mediatype>
                        </sourcetrack>
                    </generatoritem>
                </track>
            </video>
            <audio>
                <track>
                    <clipitem id="5155-20-EINW">
                        <file id="EINW"/>
                        <sourcetrack>
                            <mediatype>audio</mediatype>
                            <trackindex>1</trackindex>
                        </sourcetrack>
                    </clipitem>
                </track>
                <track>
                    <clipitem id="5155-20-EINW">
                        <file id="EINW"/>
                        <sourcetrack>
                            <mediatype>audio</mediatype>
                            <trackindex>2</trackindex>
                        </sourcetrack>
                    </clipitem>
                </track>
                <track>
                    <clipitem id="bobby-ton@8">
                        <file id="bobbyton8">
                            <name>bobby-ton@8</name>
                            <pathurl>file://localhost/Volumes/MediaDrive/Jesse/promos/promo_media/voiceovers/bobby-ton@8</pathurl>
                            <duration>125</duration>
                        </file>
                        <in>0</in>
                        <out>125</out>
                        <start>775</start>
                        <end>900</end>
                        <sourcetrack>
                            <mediatype>audio</mediatype>
                            <trackindex>1</trackindex>
                        </sourcetrack>
                    </clipitem>
                </track>
                <track>
                    <clipitem id="bobby-ton@8">
                        <file id="bobbyton8"/>
                        <sourcetrack>
                            <mediatype>audio</mediatype>
                            <trackindex>2</trackindex>
                        </sourcetrack>
                    </clipitem>
                </track>
            </audio>
        </media>
    </sequence>
</xmeml>
 

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0">    
    <xsl:output method="xml" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes" indent="yes"/>    
    <xsl:variable name="textinfo">            
        <parameter>                
            <parameterid>fontname</parameterid>                
            <name>Font</name>                
            <value>ITC Officina Sans</value>            
        </parameter>            
        <parameter>                
            <parameterid>fontsize</parameterid>                
            <name>Size</name>                
            <value>39</value>            
        </parameter>            
        <parameter>                
            <parameterid>fontstyle</parameterid>                
            <name>Style</name>                
            <value>1</value>            
        </parameter>            
        <parameter>                
            <parameterid>fontalign</parameterid>                
            <name>Alignment</name>                
            <value>1</value>            
        </parameter>            
        <parameter>                
            <parameterid>fontcolor</parameterid>                
            <name>Font Color</name>                
            <value>                    
                <alpha>255</alpha>                    
                <red>1</red>                    
                <green>2</green>                    
                <blue>3</blue>                
            </value>            
        </parameter>            
        <parameter>                
            <parameterid>origin</parameterid>                
            <name>Origin</name>                
            <value>                    
                <horiz>-0.101389</horiz>                    
                <vert>0.383604</vert>                
            </value>            
        </parameter>    
    </xsl:variable>    
    <xsl:variable name="dropshadow">        
        <filter>            
            <effect>                
                <name>Drop Shadow</name>                
                <effectid>dropshadow</effectid>                
                <effectcategory>motion</effectcategory>                
                <effecttype>motion</effecttype>                
                <mediatype>video</mediatype>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>offset</parameterid>                    
                    <name>offset</name>                    
                    <value>0</value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>angle</parameterid>                    
                    <name>angle</name>                    
                    <value>135</value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>color</parameterid>                    
                    <name>color</name>                    
                    <value>                        
                        <alpha>0</alpha>                        
                        <red>255</red>                        
                        <green>255</green>                        
                        <blue>255</blue>                    
                    </value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>softness</parameterid>                    
                    <name>softness</name>                    
                    <value>36</value>                
                </parameter>                
                <parameter>                    
                    <parameterid>opacity</parameterid>                    
                    <name>opacity</name>                    
                    <value>100</value>                
                </parameter>            
            </effect>        
        </filter>    
    </xsl:variable>    
    <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>    
    <xsl:template match="node()//*">        
        <xsl:if test="normalize-space(.)">            
            <xsl:copy>                
                <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>            
            </xsl:copy>        
        </xsl:if>    
    </xsl:template>    
    <xsl:template match="//generatoritem[@id='Text']">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:apply-templates select="*"/>            
            <xsl:copy-of select="$dropshadow"/>
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>    
    <xsl:template match="//generatoritem[@id='Text']/effect">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:apply-templates select="*"/>            
            <xsl:copy-of select="$textinfo"/>        
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>    
    <xsl:template match="@*|node()">        
        <xsl:copy>            
            <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>        
        </xsl:copy>    
    </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
 

[dorinbogdan]

Hmmm, big stuff....

I cannot get enough time today to research deeper.
Eventually, in the XSL, for the 2 variables try to use "value-of" instead of "copy-of" inside of <xsl:copy>.

For more details, see also xsl:copy and xsl:copy-of function reference.

God bless you,
Dorin.

[jtric]

Hmmm, big stuff....

I cannot get enough time today to research deeper.
Eventually, in the XSL, for the 2 variables try to use "value-of" instead of "copy-of" inside of <xsl:copy>.

For more details, see also xsl:copy and xsl:copy-of function reference.

God bless you,
Dorin.

It has grown a bit more complex than I'd anticipated, mostly because the original XML is exported from Excel and it does not like repeating nested elements. I really appreciate all your help. I will read up on xsl: copy-of and see if I can put it into use.