How To Include Client-Side Script Functions in an XSL Document

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This article was previously published under Q273793

SUMMARY

When you return HTML from an XML/XSL transform, you often have to return SCRIPT blocks. For example:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="javascript">
       function someFunction()
       {
             //Your code here.
       }
</SCRIPT>

This article describes how you can include the DEFER attribute for the <SCRIPT> tag when you include a script function in an XSL document that is used in a client-side XML/XSL transform.

NOTE: You only need the DEFER attribute when you manually perform the XML/XSL transform in client-side script. You do not need this attribute in a server-side XML transform, or if the transform is performed when navigating to a static XML file that links to the XSL document.

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MORE INFORMATION

If you do not include the DEFER attribute for the <SCRIPT> tag, and the function is called from the transformed document, an "Object Expected" error occurs.

In addition, you must enclose the SCRIPT block in <xsl:comment> tags and a CDATA section. If you do not wrap the script in a CDATA section, the XML parser parses the contents of the SCRIPT block. Because script can contain reserved characters, such as "<" and ">", the CDATA section protects the parser from potentially invalid XML within the SCRIPT block.

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Sample Code

NOTE: Make sure that you save the following files in the same folder.

Create a new XML file named Xmldoc.xml, and then paste the following code:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
	<nodes>
		<node>Hello</node>
		<node>World</node>
	</nodes>

Create a new XSL file named Xsldoc.xsl, and then paste the following code:

  <?xml version="1.0"?> 
  <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/TR/WD-xsl">
  <xsl:template match="/">
  <HTML>
   <BODY>
    <SCRIPT LANGUAGE="javascript" DEFER="true">
     <xsl:comment>
      <![CDATA[ 
	function hiLite()
 	 {
	   alert("hello");
   	 }
      ]] > 
    </xsl:comment>
    </SCRIPT>
   <INPUT id="BUTTON1" name="BUTTON1" onclick="hiLite()" type="button" value="aTest"/> 
   </BODY>
  </HTML>
  </xsl:template>
  </xsl:stylesheet>

IMPORTANT: For the preceding code to work in Internet Explorer, you must delete the space between the bracket (]) and the greater-than symbol (>) in the following line:

      ]] >

It was necessary to include this space to format the code in this article.

Create a new HTML file named Demo.htm, and then paste the following code:

<html>
<head>
<SCRIPT language="JavaScript">
<!-- begin script
function transformDoc()
{
	var	xmldoc	 =	new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM");
	var	xsldoc	 =	new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLDOM");
			
	xmldoc.async =	false;
	xsldoc.async =	false;
			
	xmldoc.load('xmldoc.xml');
	xsldoc.load('xsldoc.xsl');
			
	if((xmldoc.parseError.errorCode == 0) && (xsldoc.parseError.errorCode ==0))
		document.body.innerHTML = xmldoc.transformNode(xsldoc);
	else
	{
		document.body.innerHTML	= 'Reason: ' + xmldoc.parseError.reason;
		document.body.innerHTML	+='<br>' + 'Reason: ' + xsldoc.parseError.reason;
	}
}
//-->
</script>
</head>
<body>
<input type=button onclick="transformDoc()" value="Transform">	
</body>
</html>

In Internet Explorer, open Demo.htm, and then click Transform.
To fire the function that is applied to the document from the transformation, click Test Scripting. A button with lable aTest is displayed.
To fire the function, click aTest. An alert is displayed.

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REFERENCES

For more information on the SCRIPT element, see the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/reference/objects/script.asp (http://msdn.microsoft.com/workshop/author/dhtml/reference/objects/script.asp)

For more information about XML, see the XML Reference at the following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/psdk/xmlsdk/xml_9yg5.htm (http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/psdk/xmlsdk/xml_9yg5.htm)

For more information about Microsoft Windows Script Technologies, see the following MSDN Web site:

http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms950396.aspx (http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms950396.aspx)

For more information about developing Web-based solutions for Microsoft Internet Explorer, visit the following Microsoft Web sites:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/ie/ (http://msdn.microsoft.com/ie/)

http://support.microsoft.com/iep (http://support.microsoft.com/iep)

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APPLIES TO

Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01
Microsoft Internet Explorer (Programming) 5.01 SP1
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5

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kbdhtml kbfaq kbhowto KB273793

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Retired KB Content Disclaimer

This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.

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