XML in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Name

xsl:variable

Synopsis

<xsl:variable 
  name   = "QualifiedName"
  select = "expression">
  <! --  template  -- >
</xsl:variable>

The xsl:variable element binds a name to a value of any type (string, number, node-set, etc.). This variable can then be dereferenced elsewhere using the form $ name in an expression.

Tip

The word “variable” is a little misleading. Once the value of an xsl:variable is set, it cannot be changed. An xsl:variable is more like a named constant than a traditional variable.

name, required

The variable’s name.

select, optional

An XPath expression that sets the value of the variable. If xsl:variable has a select attribute, then it must be an empty element.

Contents

A template that is instantiated to produce the variable’s value as a result-tree fragment. If an xsl:variable is not an empty element, it must not have a select attribute. If xsl:variable is empty and does not have a select attribute, then its value is the empty string.