<xsl:if test="$node-element">
            <xsl:value-of select="$node-element" />
          </xsl:if>


again, a spurious if. You _never_ need do that. The above is
equivalent to

            <xsl:value-of select="$node-element" />




  <xsl:template name="opt_template">
      <xsl:param name="node"></xsl:param>
           <xsl:variable name="node-element"
                    select=".//*[local-name() = $node]" />
          <xsl:if test="$node-element">
            <xsl:value-of select="$node-element" />
          </xsl:if>
   </xsl:template>


is just



  <xsl:template name="opt_template">
      <xsl:param name="node"/>
      <xsl:value-of select=".//*[local-name() = $node]" />
   </xsl:template>

David

 XSL-List info and archive:  http://www.mulberrytech.com/xsl/xsl-list