Why does XSLT require weird formatting when I include javascript files?

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Why does XSLT require weird formatting when I include javascript files?

(7 posts) (4 voices)

Asked 5 years ago by Karin Dalziel
Latest answer from sebastian.rahtz@gmail.com

Tags:

HTML
XSL

Karin Dalziel
Member
I have an XSLT file that writes the HTML for a website. I include the javascript like so:
1
<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4.2/jquery.min.js" />
But if I do that, it breaks the rest of the page. Instead, I have to include the javascript files like so:
1
<script src="http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.4.2/jquery.min.js">   </script>
So that it does not break. Can anyone tell me why this is? It does not happen with included CSS files, just javascript.

Using cocoon to transform the files with Saxon 9.
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Posted 5 years ago Permalink
Stéfan Sinclair
Admin

This shouldn't really be specific to XSLT, but basically the HTML schema requires a text node (PCDATA) as a child of script (i.e. it can't be empty). See also http://aspnetresources.com/blog/empty_vs_nonempty_html_tags

Posted 5 years ago Permalink
Joe Gilbert
Admin
Just to add to Stéfan's answer, most XSLT processors will convert
<script src="whatever.js"></script>
to a self-closing element. Since browsers don't expect the tag to be empty, they fail to render everything after the tag (often the entire visible part of the page).
Posted 5 years ago Permalink
Karin Dalziel
Member

Ah, yes, I realize my code was wrong in my question, should have has the end script tag.

So, related question - is there a setting to make XSLT *stop* converting empty elements to self closing ones? I know this has caused me headaches on more than one occasion.

Thanks for the link. :)

Posted 5 years ago Permalink
Stéfan Sinclair
Admin
Karin, it probably varies by processor, but have you tried setting the output format?
<xsl:output method="html"/>
Posted 5 years ago Permalink
Karin Dalziel
Member

Replying to @Stéfan Sinclair's post:

That doesn't work with saxon, it still collapses the element if I don't throw a non breaking space in there. We set the output type to xml for a reason at one point, though for the life of me I can't remember why.

Posted 5 years ago Permalink
sebastian.rahtz@gmail.com
Member

Bites me all the time. The problem is your web browser not understanding XML (ie empty elements), because it thinks it is
reading HTML. All about mime types and doctypes, and the decision browser takes about whether
to follow HTML or XHTML mode It is probably a lost cause - the defensive use of the nbsp as content
fixes the problem.

Posted 5 years ago Permalink

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