XML to Fixed width text file with xsl style sheet

Question

I need help formatting this xml to a fixed width text file using a xsl style sheet. I know very little about xsl and have found very little information online on how this can be done.

Basically I need this xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<Report>
   <table1>
      <Detail_Collection>
         <Detail>
            <SSN>*********</SSN>
            <DOB>1980/11/11</DOB>
            <LastName>user</LastName>
            <FirstName>test</FirstName>
            <Date>2013/02/26</Date>
            <Time>14233325</Time>
            <CurrentStreetAddress1>53 MAIN STREET</CurrentStreetAddress1>
            <CurrentCity>san diego</CurrentCity>
            <CurrentState>CA</CurrentState>
      </Detail_Collection>
   </table1>
</Report>

In this format, all on the same line

*********19801111user         test       201302261423332553 MAIN STREET                                    san diego          CA

These are the fixed widths

FR TO
1   9     SSN
10  17    DOB
18  33    LastName
34  46    FirstName
47  54    Date
55  62    Time
63  90    CurrentStreetAddress1 
91  115   CurrentCity
116 131   CurrentStat

All help is much appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

Here are (in my view) lite more reliable and maintainable version:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" >
    <xsl:output method="text" indent="no"/>

    <xsl:variable name="some_spaces" select="'                                                                  '" />

    <xsl:template match="/">
        <xsl:apply-templates select="//Detail_Collection/Detail" />
    </xsl:template>

    <xsl:template match="Detail_Collection/Detail">
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format" select="SSN">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(9-1)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format_date" select="DOB">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(17-10)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format" select="LastName">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(33-18)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format" select="FirstName">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(46-34)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format_date" select="Date">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(54-47)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format" select="Time">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(62-55)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format" select="CurrentStreetAddress1">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(90-63)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format" select="CurrentCity">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(115-91)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:apply-templates mode="format" select="CurrentState">
            <xsl:with-param name="width" select="number(131-116)"/>
        </xsl:apply-templates>
        <xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
    </xsl:template>

    <xsl:template  match="node()" mode ="format">
        <xsl:param name="width" />
        <xsl:value-of select="substring(concat(text(),$some_spaces ), 1, $width+1)"/>
    </xsl:template>
    <xsl:template  match="node()" mode="format_date">
        <xsl:param name="width" />
        <xsl:value-of select="substring(concat(translate(text(),'/',''),$some_spaces ), 1, $width+1)"/>
    </xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

It will create the right output even if the fields in input not in order with the requested output, or if fields are missing in input. Also it consider that there are more than one Detail entry.