Using XSLT with Web Services

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Using XSLT with Web Services

• Roger L. Costello
• XML Technologies

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Document() function is for more than just static
XML documents!

• The format of the document function is
  document(url). The URL does not have to be to a
  static XML document. It can be to any URL which
  serves up XML.
• In other words, the URL could be to a Web service
  which dynamically generates XML documents!

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XSLT as a Data Aggregator
Web Service 1
Web Service 2
document(url2)
document(url1)
XSLT
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Meerkat Web Service

• Meerkat is an open service1 which aggregates
  data from hundreds of sites
• Here's an example of how to retrieve an XML
  document of all articles that were written on
  REST in the last 14 days
• http//meerkat.oreillynet.com/?_flxmlsRESTt14
  DAY
• Here are highlights of the Meerkat API2
• _fl is used to indicate the desired "flavor" of
  the result. Legal values xml, RSS 1.0, RSS 0.9,
  Minimal, Tokeerkat, Meerkat
• s is used to specify what you want Meerkat to
  search for. Separate keywords with a plus, e.g.,
  RESTSOAP means you want all articles with REST
  or SOAP in them
• t is used to specify how far back you want
  Meerkat to look for stories. You give it a
  number and then either MINUTE, HOUR, DAY, ALL.
  ALL means that you want all stories (no number
  needed with ALL)

1 An open service is a web service that is free
and has a publicly available API 2 See this URL
for the complete Meerkat API
http//www.oreillynet.com/lpt/a//rss/2000/05/09/me
erkat_api.html
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lt?xml version"1.0"?gt ltxslstylesheet
xmlnsxsl"http//www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
version"1.0"gt ltxsloutput
method"html"/gt ltxsltemplate match"/"gt
ltHTMLgt ltBODYgt ltxslvariable
name"Meerkat" select"document('http//www.oreill
ynet.com/meerkat/?_flxmlampsREST')"/gt
ltTABLE border"1" width"75"gt
ltTRgt ltTHgtTitlelt/THgt
ltTHgtDescriptionlt/THgt
lt/TRgt ltxslfor-each
select"Meerkat/meerkat/story"gt
ltTRgt ltTDgtltxslvalue-of
select"title"/gtlt/TDgt
ltTDgtltxslvalue-of select"description"/gtlt/TDgt
lt/TRgt
lt/xslfor-eachgt lt/TABLEgt
lt/BODYgt lt/HTMLgt lt/xsltemplategt lt/xsls
tylesheetgt
See document-example01 Note if you are running
the stylesheet behind a firewall you will need to
set the HTTP_PROXY appropriately.