>>match="entry[. is
>>ancestor::table[1]/descendant::entry[1]]/*[self::title|self::para][1]"
>
>This will match the first title or para child of a first entry
>descendant of a table, but if you have
>
><entry>
>   <label/>
>   <title/>
>   <para/>
></entry>
>
>the title will be matched.
>
>I think the spec needs a bit of clarification. :-)

Sorry for being imprecise, the intent is to match the first title or
para in a cell, whichever comes first. It doesn't matter whether there
are other elements before it (label in your example).

I'm not answering to the many helpful posts on this individually.
Andrew's link on "//" was very interesting (the gotcha would have resp.
has got me for sure). I'll try to summarize the idea behind the solution:

1. Patterns are limited. If you cannot do it directly, shove the logic
into predicates.

2. In the predicate, use the ancestor axis to "go back" to the element
you wanted to start from originally, then formulate your path as you
would have done without patterns' limitations and check for node
identity on the target.

Hope I got that sufficiently right, though it reads not much clearer :-
( Another try:

Instead of

match="anchor/unsupported_pathspec_to/target"

use

match="target[. is pathspec_to/anchor/unsupported_pathspec_to/target]"

<xsl:template match="entry/title | entry/para">
  <h5 class="entry-title">
    <xsl:call-template name="run-in"/>
    <xsl:apply-templates/>
  </h5>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template match="entry/para">
  <p>
    <xsl:call-template name="run-in"/>
    <xsl:apply-templates/>
  </p>
</xsl:template>

<xsl:template name="run-in">
  <!-- a run-in label is inserted into the first title or para that
       appears in the first entry of a table -->
  <xsl:if test=". is ancestor::table[1]/descendant::entry[1]/(title|para)[1]">
    ...
  </xsl:if>
</xsl:template>

Cheers,
Wendell

======================================================================
Wendell Piez                            mailto:wapiez@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mulberry Technologies, Inc.                http://www.mulberrytech.com
17 West Jefferson Street                    Direct Phone: 301/315-9635
Suite 207                                          Phone: 301/315-9631
Rockville, MD  20850                                 Fax: 301/315-8285
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