XSLT Refactoring Actions

Oxygen XML Editor offers a set of actions that allow changing the structure of an XSLT stylesheet without changing the results of running it in an XSLT transformation. Depending on the selected text, the following refactoring actions are available from Refactoring submenu from the contextual menu of the current editor and the Document > Refactoring menu:

• Extract template - Extracts the selected XSLT instructions sequence into a new template. Opens a dialog box that allows you to specify the name of the new template to be created. The possible changes to perform on the document can be previewed before altering the document. After pressing OK, the template is created and the selection is replaced with a <xsl:call-template> instruction referencing the newly created template.
  Note: This action is available only when the selection contains well-formed elements.
  Note: The newly created template is indented and its name is highlighted in the <xsl:call-template> element.
• Move to another stylesheet - Allows you to move one or more XSLT global components (templates, functions, or parameters) to another stylesheet. Active only when these entire components are selected. Follow these steps:
  1. Choose whether you want to move the selected components to a new stylesheet or an existing one.
  2. Select the destination stylesheet. Press the Choose button to select the destination stylesheet file. Oxygen XML Editor will automatically check if the destination stylesheet is already contained by the hierarchy of the current stylesheet. If it is not contained, choose whether or not the destination stylesheet will be referenced (imported or included) from the current stylesheet. The following options are available:
     • Include - The current stylesheet will use an xsl:include instruction to reference the destination stylesheet.
     • Import - The current stylesheet will use an xsl:import instruction to reference the destination stylesheet.
     • None - There will be created no relation between the current and destination stylesheets.
  3. Press the Move button to move the components to the destination stylesheet. The moved components are highlighted in the destination stylesheet.
• Convert attributes to xsl:attributes - Converts the attributes from the selected element and represents each of them with an <xsl:attribute> instruction. For example, from the following element:

  <person id="Big{test}Boss"/>

  you obtain:

  <person>
      <xsl:attribute name="id">
          <xsl:text>Big</xsl:text>
          <xsl:value-of select="test"/>
          <xsl:text>Boss</xsl:text>
      </xsl:attribute>
  </person>

• Convert xsl:if into xsl:choose/xsl:when - Converts an xsl:if block to an xsl:when block surrounded by an xsl:choose element. For example, the following block:

  <xsl:if test="a">
    <!-- XSLT code -->
  </xsl:if>

  is converted to:

  <xsl:choose>
      <xsl:when test="a">
          <!-- XSLT code -->
      </xsl:when>
      <xsl:otherwise>
          |
      </xsl:otherwise>
  </xsl:choose>

  where the | character is the current cursor position.

• Extract local variable - Allows you to create a new local variable by extracting the selected XPath expression. After creating the new local variable before the current element, Oxygen XML Editor allows you to edit in-place the variable's name.
  Note: The action is active on a selection made inside an attribute that contains an XPath expression.
• Extract global variable - Allows you to create a new global variable by extracting the selected XPath expression. After creating the new global variable, Oxygen XML Editor allows you to edit in-place the variable's name.
  Note: The action is active on a selection made inside an attribute that contains an XPath expression.
  Note: Oxygen XML Editor checks if the selected expression depends on local variables or parameters that are not available in the global context where the new variable is created.
• Extract template parameter - Allows you to create a new template parameter by extracting the selected XPath expression. After creating the new parameter, Oxygen XML Editor allows you to edit in-place its name.
  Note: The action is active on a selection made inside an attribute that contains an XPath expression.
• Extract global parameter - Allows you to create a new global parameter by extracting the selected XPath expression. After creating the new parameter, Oxygen XML Editor allows you to edit in-place its name.
  Note: The action is active on a selection made inside an attribute that contains an XPath expression.
  Note: Oxygen XML Editor checks if the selected expression depends on local variables or parameters that are not available in the global context where the new parameter is created.

• Rename Component - Allows you to rename the current component in-place. The component and all its references in the document are highlighted with a thin border and the changes you make to the component at the cursor position are updated in real time to all occurrences of the component. To exit in-place editing, press the Esc or Enter key on your keyboard.
• Rename Component in - Opens the Rename component_type dialog box that allows you to rename the selected component by specifying the new component name and the files to be affected by the modification. If you click the Preview button, you can view the files affected by the Rename Component action.

  Figure: Rename Identity Constraint Dialog Box

  

To watch our video demonstration about XSLT refactoring, go to http://oxygenxml.com/demo/XSL_Refactoring.html.