Try test="translate(substring($in,1,1), '0123456789', '') = ''"

(it may need refining as it also gives true if $in is zero-length).

Regards,

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

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Adrian Stringer [mailto:adrian.stringer@xxxxxxxxxxxx] 
> Sent: 20 October 2009 09:29
> To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject:  Testing if a string begins with numeric in XSL 1.0
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Is this the correct/best way to test whether a string begins 
> with a digit in XSL 1.0?
> 
>     <xsl:when test="string(number(substring($input-name, 1, 
> 1))) != 'NaN'">
> 
> I guess using a regular expression in XSL 2.0 would be the 
> best approach, but unfortunately I'm constrained to using 
> MSXSL and hence XSL 1.0 at the moment.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Ade
> 
> --
> Adrian Stringer
> Software Developer
> Direct Dial: 0845 265 6029
> Mobile:
> 
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