XSLT Edit XML

Now, we will show how to open, save, and edit XML file that is stored on the server.

To transform the XML document into an HTML form here we using XSLT. The values of XML elements will be written to HTML input fields in an HTML form.The HTML web form is editable. After editing the data, the data is going to be submitted back to the server and the XML file will be updated which is dine by ASP.

XML File and XSL File

XML document "tools.xml"

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<tool>
<field id="prodName">
<value>HAMMER HG2606</value>
</field>
<field id="prodNo">
<value>32456240</value>
</field>
<field id="price">
<value>$30.00</value>
</field>
</tool>

Below is style sheet "tool.xsl"

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"><xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<body>
<form method="post" action="edittool.asp">
<h2>Tool Information (edit):</h2>
<table border="0">
<xsl:for-each select="tool/field">
<tr>
<td>
<xsl:value-of select="@id"/>
</td>
<td>
<input type="text">
<xsl:attribute name="id">
<xsl:value-of select="@id" />
</xsl:attribute>
<xsl:attribute name="name">
<xsl:value-of select="@id" />
</xsl:attribute>
<xsl:attribute name="value">
<xsl:value-of select="value" />
</xsl:attribute>
</input>
</td>
</tr>
</xsl:for-each>
</table>
<br />
<input type="submit" id="btn_sub" name="btn_sub" value="Submit" />
<input type="reset" id="btn_res" name="btn_res" value="Reset" />
</form>
</body>
</html>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

The above XSL file loops through the elements in the XML file and creates one input field for each XML "field" element. The value of the XML "field" element's "id" attribute is added to both the "name" and "id" attributes of each HTML input field. XML "value" element is added to the "value" attribute of each HTML input field. The Output is an editable HTML form that contains the values from the XML file.

After that we have second style sheet: "tool_updated.xsl". This XSL file will be used to display the updated XML data. This style sheet only for a static HTML table, not give result in an editable HTML form

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"><xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<body>
<h2>Updated Tool Information:</h2>
<table border="1">
<xsl:for-each select="tool/field">
<tr>
<td><xsl:value-of select="@id" /></td>
<td><xsl:value-of select="value" /></td>
</tr>
</xsl:for-each>
</table>
</body>
</html>
</xsl:template></xsl:stylesheet>

ASP File

The HTML form in the "tool.xsl" file has an action attribute with a value "edittool.asp".

The "edittool.asp" page contains two functions:

The loadFile() function loads and transforms the XML file for display
the updateFile() function applies the changes to the XML file:

<%
function loadFile(xmlfile,xslfile)
Dim xmlDoc,xslDoc'Load XML file
set xmlDoc = Server.CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
xmlDoc.async = false
xmlDoc.load(xmlfile)'Load XSL file
set xslDoc = Server.CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
xslDoc.async = false
xslDoc.load(xslfile)'Transform file
Response.Write(xmlDoc.transformNode(xslDoc))
end functionfunction updateFile(xmlfile)
Dim xmlDoc,rootEl,f
Dim i'Load XML file
set xmlDoc = Server.CreateObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM")
xmlDoc.async = false
xmlDoc.load(xmlfile)'Set the rootEl variable equal to the root element
Set rootEl = xmlDoc.documentElement'Loop through the form collection
for i = 1 To Request.Form.Count
'Eliminate button elements in the form
if instr(1,Request.Form.Key(i),"btn_")=0 then
'The selectSingleNode method queries the XML file for a
'single node that matches a query. This query requests
'the value element that is the child of a field element
'that has an id attribute which matches the current key
'value in the Form Collection. When there is a match -
'set the text property equal to the value of the current
'field in the Form Collection.
set f = rootEl.selectSingleNode("field[@id='" & _
Request.Form.Key(i) & "']/value")
f.Text = Request.Form(i)
end if
next'Save the modified XML file
xmlDoc.save xmlfile'Release all object references
set xmlDoc=nothing
set rootEl=nothing
set f=nothing'Load the modified XML file with a style sheet that
'allows the client to see the edited information
loadFile xmlfile,server.MapPath("tool_updated.xsl")
end function'If the form has been submitted update the
'XML file and display result - if not,
'transform the XML file for editing
if Request.Form("btn_sub")="" then
loadFile server.MapPath("tool.xml"),server.MapPath("tool.xsl")
else
updateFile server.MapPath("tool.xml")
end if
%>

Note:here we are doing transformation and applying the changes to the XML file on the server. This is a cross-browser solution and client will only get HTML back from the server - which will work in any browser.

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