XSLT - XML Editor
Data stored in the XML file can be edited via the Internet browser.
Open, edit and save XML
Now, we will show you how to open, edit, and save XML files stored on the server.
We will use XML to XSL document into an HTML form. XML element's value will be written in HTML HTML form input fields. This HTML form is editable. After being edited, the data will be submitted back to the server, XML files are updated (this part is done by ASP).
XML documents and XSL files
First, look at the XML document that will be used ( "tool.xml"):
<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>
Next, consider the following style sheet ( "tool.xsl"):
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<body>
<form method="post" action="edittool.html">
<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 XSL file above will loop through the elements in the XML file, and creates an input field for each XML "field" elements. Value "id" attribute of XML "field" element is added to the "id" and "name" attribute of each HTML input field. The value of each XML "value" element is added to the "value" attribute of each HTML input field. As a result, you can get the value of an XML file that contains the HTML form can be edited.
Then, we have the second stylesheet: "tool_updated.xsl". This XSL file will be used to display the updated XML data. This style sheet will not be output editable HTML form, but a static HTML table:
<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
In the above "tool.xsl" file, the value of the action attribute of the HTML form is "edittool.asp".
"Edittool.asp" page contains two functions: loadFile () function loads and transforms the XML file, updateFile () function updates 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 function
function 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
%>
Tip: If you do not know how to write ASP, please study our ASP tutorial .
NOTE: We are located on the server and updates the conversion of XML documents.This is a cross-platform solution. The client can only be obtained from the server returned HTML - HTML and can run on any browser.