substring-before($text, $newline) working?

[Anonymous]

I have a text param with multiple lines (i.e., a string value with embedded newline characters). I also have a global variable defined:

<xsl:variable name="newline" select="'&#x0A;'"/>

This is working for me:

<xsl:when test="contains($text, $newline)">

But this is not:

<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($text, $newline)/>

When I replace $newline with '&#x0A;' in the substring-before function, it works.

I also have an ENTITY defined for newline:

<!ENTITY nl "&#x0A;">

The entity works in general, but this fails, as well:

<xsl:value-of select="substring-before($text, '&nl;')/>

Should these be working, or am I missing a subtlety with how this all works?

[Michael Kay]

I can't see any reason why contains() should succeed and substring-before() should fail. You don't say how it fails. Please supply a complete example (source document + stylesheet) that demonstrates the problem.

Mike Kay

[Anonymous]

Here's a source file:
<test>
    Line 1
    Line 2
</test>

Here's a stylesheet that works:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE ClassGenerator [ <!ENTITY nl "&#x0A;"> ]>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method="text"/>
<xsl:variable name="newline" select="'&nl;'"/>
<xsl:template match="test">
    <xsl:variable name="text" select="."/>
    <xsl:call-template name="lines">
        <xsl:with-param name="text" select="$text"/>
    </xsl:call-template>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template name="lines">
    <xsl:param name="text"/>
    <xsl:choose>
        <xsl:when test="$text = ''"/>
        <xsl:when test="contains($text, $newline)">
            <xsl:variable name="next" select="substring-before($text, '&#x0A;')"/>
            <xsl:variable name="rest" select="substring-after($text, '&#x0A;')"/>
            <xsl:value-of select="concat('* ', $next, '&#x0A;')"/>
            <xsl:call-template name="lines">
                <xsl:with-param name="text" select="$rest"/>
            </xsl:call-template>
        </xsl:when>
        <xsl:otherwise>
            <xsl:value-of select="concat('# ', $text, '&#x0A;')"/>
        </xsl:otherwise>
    </xsl:choose>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

It outputs:
*
*     Line 1
*     Line 2

It uses $newline for the contains test, but '&#x0A;' for everything else. If I change the substring-before and substring-after calls to use $newline instead:
            <xsl:variable name="next" select="substring-before($text, $newline)"/>
            <xsl:variable name="rest" select="substring-after($text, $newline)"/>

I get this:
*

*
*
*
* Line
* 1

*
*
*
* Line
# 2

If I change the concat calls to also use $newline:
            <xsl:value-of select="concat('* ', $next, $newline)"/>

such that now everything is using $newline, I get:
*
*  *  *  * Line * 1
*  *  *  * Line # 2

I am using Saxon 6.4.4, by the way (not Instant Saxon).

[Anonymous]

Saxon 6.4.3, that is.