$Content - a pseudo-attribute

Section - Transforming to and from Nulls

$Content

returns the immediate text content of an XML node. If the node has sub-nodes then $content is the sum of all the text nodes which lie immediately beneath the node. If you only require the first text node than you should use $smallContent. If you require all the text nodes included beneath the node then you are advsied to use $bigContent.

Notes:

• $Content is always present in both the source and target; it cannot be null, only empty

Notes on Mapping to $Content

• Mapping from $Content will produce at least one node.

• If $Content is the identifier of the target transform, then only one node may be created with no content, as merging will occur.

• Mapping from an attribute in the source will create a node if the attribute is an empty string.

• Mapping from an attribute will not create a node if the attribute is null (that is, not present in the source)

Example

You can use $Content just as though it was an attribute:

TRANSFORM A <- B

    -- copy the old content to the attribute

    attr1    := $Content;

    -- set the new node content with the value in the attribute

    $Content := attr2;