Because sometimes the <fig> elements are nested below the others. That is why
I am using the "preceding" axis.

-----Original Message-----
From: Dimitre Novatchev dnovatchev@xxxxxxxxx
[mailto:xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 3:58 PM
To: xsl-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re:  preceding with the same ancestor as self

> How can I restrict the preceding axis so a found node will have the
> same ancestor as the context node? Thanks.


Why don't you use the "preceding-sibling::" axis instead?

Cheers,
Dimitre

On Fri, Feb 27, 2015 at 12:44 PM, Rick Quatro rick@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
<xsl-list-service@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> When I am at a <fig> with no text, I want to find the previous <fig>
> that has text, but only within the same ancestor group.
>
> I am using this:
>
> preceding::fig[.!=""][1]
>
> This works for all of the empty <fig> elements in the first <grp>, but
> in the second <grp>, it incorrectly picks up the <fig> with the 4
> value from the previous <grp>. How can I restrict the preceding axis
> so a found node will have the same ancestor as the context node? Thanks.
>
> Rick
>
>
> <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <doc>
>     <grp>
>         <fig/>
>         <fig>1</fig>
>         <fig>2</fig>
>         <fig/>
>         <sub>
>             <fig>3</fig>
>         </sub>
>         <fig/>
>         <fig>4</fig>
>     </grp>
>     <grp>
>         <fig/>
>         <fig>1</fig>
>         <fig>2</fig>
>         <fig>3</fig>
>         <sub>
>             <fig/>
>         </sub>
>         <fig/>
>     </grp>
> </doc>