xslt 2.0 - Evaluate dynamic string as an XPath expression?

Question

Currently, I'm writing something to do Unit testing for XSLT2 functions, the idea is very simple:

1. Create a custom-library.xsl, which contains some custom XSLT2 functions.

2. Create a data XML contains the test cases, as following XML Schema xslunit.xsd:

   schema structure http://xml.bodz.net/schema/xslunit/xslunit.png

3. Run the test cases by transform it, using xslunit-xslt2.xsl, and get the test result html.

Now, the question is, there is function-call in the test cases, and I have to evaluate it in the XSLT (file xslunit-xslt2.xsl). But I can't find a way to evaluate an XPath.

Though, it may be easy to using some kind of Java extensions, but I really don't want to bring in another trouble. I hope everything can just work with-in XSLT2 only.

Answer 1

No, pure XSLT 2.0 does not have support do evaluate an XPath expression found in your XML data. Saxon 9 (in its commercial editions) however has an extension function: http://www.saxonica.com/documentation/extensions/functions/evaluate.xml. And AltovaXML Tools has a similar one: http://manual.altova.com/AltovaXML/altovaxmlcommunity/index.html?xextaltova_general.htm