[xep-support] Index Sort Problem (no index output produced when sort statement is used)

[G. Ken Holman]

At 2004-02-18 13:58 -0500, Chris Cosentino wrote:
>I'm experiencing some odd behavior with sort.
>...
>My code to generate the index, unsorted, works fine:
>
><xsl:template name="index">
><fo:block>
>INDEX
><xsl:for-each select="//indexentry">
>         <fo:block font="11pt Times" space-before.optimum="6pt">
>...
></fo:block>
></xsl:template>
>
>However, the following produces no output after "INDEX":
>
><xsl:template name="index">
><fo:block>
>INDEX
><xsl:for-each select="//indexentry">
>         <xsl:sort>
>         <fo:block font="11pt Times" space-before.optimum="6pt">
>             <fo:wrapper text-transform="lowercase">
>             <xsl:value-of select="."/>
>             <fo:leader leader-pattern="dots"/>
>             <fo:page-number-citation ref-id="{generate-id()}"/>
>             </fo:wrapper>
>             </fo:block>
>         </xsl:sort>
>         </xsl:for-each>
></fo:block>
></xsl:template>

Right ... you've structured it incorrectly

>No variation of the initial sort tag seems to work either (granted my 
>select statements may be grasping at straws, but I tried EVERYTHING, 
>several times):
>
><xsl:sort select = ".">
><xsl:sort select = "//indexentry">
><xsl:sort select = "indexentry">
><xsl:sort order-"descending">
>
>Any idea why absolutely no index is output when I put a sort statement in 
>there, even the most basic sort with no options?

Yes ... you haven't learned that <xsl:sort/> is an *empty* element ... the 
select attribute should be a relative specification, but it has *no* 
content.  It is a modifier of the <xsl:for-each> instruction.

Try:

<xsl:template name="index">
<fo:block>
INDEX
<xsl:for-each select="//indexentry">
         <xsl:sort/>
         <fo:block font="11pt Times" space-before.optimum="6pt">
             <fo:wrapper text-transform="lowercase">
             <xsl:value-of select="."/>
             <fo:leader leader-pattern="dots"/>
             <fo:page-number-citation ref-id="{generate-id()}"/>
             </fo:wrapper>
         </fo:block>
</xsl:for-each>
</fo:block>
</xsl:template>

>Obviously I need to read up on XPath a little better for my select 
>statements, but I still don't understand why nothing is output with even 
>just a basic sort.

All you've done is improperly formed the instruction.  Your XSLT processor 
should have flagged the illegal content to <xsl:sort/> ... it is an empty 
instruction.

I hope this helps.

................... Ken

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G. Ken Holman                  mailto:gkholman at CraneSoftwrights.com
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