> Why is this xpath NOT working
> 
> <xsl:value-of 
> select="document('connections.xml')/connections/connection[@id
> =Conn]"/>
> 
>  and this IS
> 
> <xsl:variable name="conn" select="Conn"/>
> <xsl:value-of 
> select="document('connections.xml')/connections/connection[@id
> =$conn]"/>

Because the context for evaluating a path expression (such as Conn) is
different depending on where it's written. In your furst case, it's looking
for Conn as a child element of connection.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/