XSLT

Name

count() Function — Counts the number of nodes in a given node-set.

Synopsis

number count(
               node-set
               )

Inputs

A node-set.

Output

The number of nodes in the node-set.

Defined in

XPath section 4.1, Node Set Functions.

Examples

Here’s the XML document we’ll use to illustrate the count() function:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<test>
  <p>This is a test XML document used by 
  several of our sample stylesheets.</p>
  <question>
    <text>When completed, the Eiffel Tower was the 
    tallest building in the world.</text>
    <true>You're correct!  The Eiffel Tower was the 
    world's tallest building until 1930.</true>
    <false>No, the Eiffel Tower was the world's 
    tallest building for over 30 years.</false>
  </question>
  <question>
    <text>New York's Empire State Building knocked 
    the Eiffel Tower from its pedestal.</text>
    <true>No, that's not correct.</true>
    <false>Correct!  New York's Chrysler Building, 
    completed in 1930, became the world's tallest.</false>
  </question>
</test>

Here’s a stylesheet that illustrates the count() function:

<?xml version="1.0"?> <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"> <xsl:output method="text"/> <xsl:variable name="newline"> <xsl:text> </xsl:text> </xsl:variable> <xsl:template match="/"> <xsl:value-of select="$newline"/> <xsl:text>Tests of the count() function:</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="$newline"/> <xsl:value-of select="$newline"/> <xsl:text> count(/test)=</xsl:text> <xsl:value-of select="count(/test)"/> <xsl:value-of select="$newline"/> <xsl:text> count(/true)=</xsl:text> ...