I'm not sure your '*correct number is x*' statements match the example
xml you have provided, but 2 xpaths that meet your description are:

<xsl:value-of select="count(report[code/@type = 'a' or code/@type =
'b'][code[last()]/@type = 'a'])"/>
 
and
 
<xsl:value-of select="count(report[code/@type = 'a' or code/@type =
'b'][code[last()]/@type = 'b'])"/>

Respectively (when the template is processing <reportlist>).

Are you sure about the xml you've posted?

Andrew



> Hi,
> I have small XSL example which is posing rather large 
> difficulty... I think due to the use of parenthesis needed 
> for document order location path.  Is there an XML guru that 
> can help me with the correct statement 
> for the example below?  Thanks in advance.
>   --Alan
> 
> 
> In the following XML document, I need to be able to query the 
> following:
> 
> 1)  The number of reports which are coded with either an "a" 
> or "b" where the last code (in document order) which is 
> either an "a" or "b" is an "a".
> 
> *correct number is 3 *
> 
> 
> 2)  The number of reports which are coded with either an "a" 
> or "b" where the last code (in document order) which is 
> either an "a" or "b" is a "b".
> 
> *correct number is 1*
> 
> 
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
> <reportlist>
>     <report>
>         <code type="a"/>
>         <code type="b"/>
>         <code type="c"/>
>     </report>
>     <report>
>         <code type="a"/>
>         <code type="b"/>
>         <code type="a"/>
>     </report>
>     <report>
>         <code type="z"/>
>         <code type="a"/>
>         <code type="d"/>
>     </report>
>     <report>
>         <code type="a"/>
>         <code type="e"/>
>         <code type="f"/>
>     </report>
>     <report>
>         <code type="e"/>
>     </report>
> </reportlist>