Table of contents

Appendices

11.5 Variables and Parameters within Templates

As well as being allowed at the top-level, both xsl:variable and xsl:param are also allowed in templates. xsl:variable is allowed anywhere within a template that an instruction is allowed. In this case, the binding is visible for all following siblings and their descendants. Note that the binding is not visible for the xsl:variable element itself. xsl:param is allowed as a child at the beginning of an xsl:template element. In this context, the binding is visible for all following siblings and their descendants. Note that the binding is not visible for the xsl:param element itself.

A binding shadows another binding if the binding occurs at a point where the other binding is visible, and the bindings have the same name. It is an error if a binding established by an xsl:variable or xsl:param element within a template Shadows another binding established by an xsl:variable or xsl:param element also within the template. It is not an error if a binding established by an xsl:variable or xsl:param element in a template Shadows another binding established by an xsl:variable or xsl:param Top-level element. Thus, the following is an error:

<xsl:template name="foo">
<xsl:param name="x" select="1"/>
<xsl:variable name="x" select="2"/>
</xsl:template>

However, the following is allowed:

<xsl:param name="x" select="1"/>
<xsl:template name="foo">
<xsl:variable name="x" select="2"/>
</xsl:template>

NOTE: 

The nearest equivalent in Java to an xsl:variable element in a template is a final local variable declaration with an initializer. For example,

<xsl:variable name="x" select="'value'"/>

has similar semantics to

final Object x = "value";

XSLT does not provide an equivalent to the Java assignment operator

x = "value";

because this would make it harder to create an implementation that processes a document other than in a batch-like way, starting at the beginning and continuing through to the end.