How to use the command 'xml transform' (with examples)

The ‘xml transform’ command is used to transform XML documents using XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations). XSLT is a language that allows you to transform XML documents into different formats, such as HTML, PDF, or plain text.

Use case 1: Transform an XML document using an XSL stylesheet, passing one XPATH parameter and one literal string parameter

Code:

xml transform path/to/stylesheet.xsl -p "Count='count(/xml/table/rec)'" -s Text="Count=" path/to/input.xml|URI

Motivation: This use case is helpful when you have an XML document that needs to be transformed into a different format, and you want to pass some dynamic values to the transformation process. In this example, we are transforming an XML document using an XSL stylesheet and passing two parameters: one XPATH parameter and one literal string parameter.

Explanation:

• path/to/stylesheet.xsl is the path to the XSL stylesheet file that will be used for the transformation.
• -p "Count='count(/xml/table/rec)'" specifies an XPATH parameter named “Count” with the value of the count of /xml/table/rec in the XML document.
• -s Text="Count=" specifies a literal string parameter named “Text” with the value “Count=”.
• path/to/input.xml|URI is the path to the input XML document or a URI.

Example output: The XML document will be transformed based on the XSL stylesheet provided, and the output will be displayed in the console or redirected to a file.

Use case 2: Display help for the ’transform’ subcommand

Code:

xml transform --help

Motivation: This use case is useful when you need to quickly get information about the available options and usage of the ’transform’ subcommand. The help output provides detailed information about the command syntax, available parameters, and their descriptions.

Explanation:

• --help is an option that displays the help message for the ’transform’ subcommand.

Example output: The help message for the ’transform’ subcommand will be displayed, showing information on how to use the command and the available options.

Conclusion:

The ‘xml transform’ command is a powerful tool for transforming XML documents using XSLT. It allows you to create customized transformations by passing parameters to the XSL stylesheet. Additionally, the command provides helpful documentation through the ’transform’ subcommand’s help message, making it easier to understand and use the command effectively.