Remove those empty elements ! Improved

[heikkidoeleman]

Hello,

after seeing this thread426-1088712 old thread on removing empty elements, I think its solution is not ideal as it will remove empty elements that have non-empty attributes too.

A solution that does not remove empty elements that have non-empty attributes is the following:

  <xsl:template match="node()">
    <xsl:if test=". != '' or normalize-space(.//@*) != '' ">
      <xsl:copy>
        <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>
      </xsl:copy>
    </xsl:if>
  </xsl:template>

  <xsl:template match="@*">
    <xsl:if test="normalize-space(.) != '' ">
		<xsl:variable name="attributeName" select="name()"/>
		 <xsl:attribute name="{$attributeName}" select="."/>
    </xsl:if>
  </xsl:template>

For good measure I've treated whitespace-only values as if they are empty, too.

 

[tsuji]

[0] I did not recall I read the quoted thread. In any case, it served its time and I am not going to look at it too critically.

[1] Instead, how about looking at your proposal to stay at the heat of it? I have several observations to make.

[1.1] This may not be straightly compliant to the recommendation of xslt 1.0, although some implementation may tolerate it.
> <xsl:attribute name="{$attributeName}" [red]select="."[/red]/>
The problem is that the attribute "select" is not in the admissible attribute set of the xsl:attribute element. Some implementation(s) may consider it a serious error and refuse to go further, and I think they have reason to do so.

[1.1.1] If you want to avoid such problem, just use xsl:value-of child for that purpose and it would be fine.

[1.2]
>For good measure I've treated whitespace-only values as if they are empty, too.
It is fine as a premise for the functionality sought after. But, I don't think your implementation deliver. I will show you in the following.

[2] Let's take a generic xml with ingredients putting the needed behaviour in an acute manner.

[2.1][tt]
<root>
<a>
<b />
<b></b>
<c> </c>
<d at="pqr">
<e>
<f></f>
</e>
</d>
</a>
<a>
<b />
<b></b>
<c> </c>
<d at=" ">
<e>
<f></f>
</e>
</d>
</a>
<a>
<b />
<b></b>
<c> </c>
<d at="">
<e>
<f></f>
</e>
</d>
</a>
</root>
[/tt]
[2.2] I would then propose instead this xsl for the functionality sought after.
[tt]
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="[ignore]

http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform

[/ignore]">
<xsl:template match="/">
<xsl:apply-templates select="node()" />
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="/*">
<!-- against all conditions, keep the root undeleted -->
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:apply-templates select="*|@*" />
</xsl:copy>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="node()">
<xsl:if test="not(normalize-space(text()) = '' and count(./@*[normalize-space()!='']|.//*/@*[normalize-space()!='']) = 0)">
<xsl:copy>
<xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>
</xsl:copy>
</xsl:if>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="@*">
<xsl:if test="normalize-space() != ''">
<xsl:copy-of select="." />
</xsl:if>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
[/tt]
[2.3] Run the transformation with my xsl document and compare the result with yours. One of the detail that you've to take care of is the cascade/after-effect. An non-empty element with empty child elements once removed would itself become empty an apt to be removed. That has not be properly taken care of in your posting.

[3] In any case, I would say help others if you have good skill on xslt and would encourage you to do thereof. Good helpers are in short supply.