Summary This example shows a simple example of how to output your XML into a text using XSL, by comma separating the output.

The most common use for XML transformation is to convert XML into HTML file. The other 2 common uses are to convert XML into another format of XML file or into an text file.

I just finished up one E-biz project, which has to send a message to customer by Email. Some custoemr prefer the HTML format mail, and others like text format one better.So I had to use 2 XSL file to transfer the same XML data to different customers.

Here is one simple example that convert XML data to text file:

First specify output method: <xsl:output method=text/>, then seperate the item by limitator, such as ,, ; or . . Here I seperate them by comma, and at the end I use period instead. I also use <xsl:sort select=. order=descending/> to sort the items.

In order to view the text file in the browser, you have to view the source inside the browser.

See the XML & XSL file, and the following the results:

Comma separated and sorted list--All the books on my desk are:   
          XML Database, XML and VB 6.0, XML and SOAP Programming, XML, Oracle 8 Reference, Oracle 8 PL/SQL Programming, Javascript Reference, HTML 4, Dynamic HTML Reference, Database Access with Visual Basic 6, Active Server Page 3.0.

Additional information

booktext.xsl: <xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="1.0"> <xsl:output method="text"/> <xsl:template match="/"> Comma separated and sorted list--All the books on my desk are: <xsl:for-each select="books/book"> <xsl:sort select="." order="descending"/> <xsl:value-of select="."/> <xsl:if test="not(position() = last())">, </xsl:if> <xsl:if test="position() = last()">.</xsl:if>ssss </xsl:for-each> </xsl:template> </xsl:stylesheet> book.xml: <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="booktext.xsl"?> <books> <book>Database Access with Visual Basic 6</book> <book>HTML 4</book> <book>Oracle 8 Reference</book> <book>Javascript Reference</book> <book>Active Server Page 3.0</book> <book>XML and SOAP Programming</book> <book>XML and VB 6.0</book> <book>Dynamic HTML Reference</book> <book>Oracle 8 PL/SQL Programming</book> <book>XML</book> <book>XML Database</book> </books>