XSL QUESTION: alternative method to count the number of lines or newline characters of an xml attribute

Question

I've scoured the internet to discover this method of finding the number of lines in an xml element.:

<xsl:if test="string-length(@Example) - string-length(translate(@Example, '&#xa;', '')) &lt; 10"> 

In the example above, @Example is the element for which the number of lines is counted. I didn't like this code, however, because it automatically gets turn into this:

    <xsl:if test="string-length(@Example) - string-length(translate(@Example, ' 
', '')) &lt; 10">

You see, the code 
 gets turned into a literal blank line (which it represents but I don't want it to be a blank line). That above seems like bad coding style to me(if it isn't, please tell me), so I want an alternate way for finding the number of lines in @Example. Thank you.

Answer 1

This style is probably closer to your preferences:

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
 xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"&gt;

 <xsl:variable name="vNL" select="'&#xA;'"/>

 <xsl:template match="t">
  <xsl:value-of select=
    "string-length(@Example)
    -
     string-length(translate(@Example, $vNL, ''))"/>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

The NL constant is kept in a variable and referencing this variable does not cause an editor to display a new line.

Even the $vNL declaration can be cured of this problem -- provided this is made into a global <xsl:param> and the value is provided by the external invoker of the transformation.

Answer 2

Just for clarification of my previous answer ( http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3366181/sharepoint-designer-keeps-turning-xa-within-source-code-into-literal-new-line )

Running this stylesheet (same as Dimitre):

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
 xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"&gt;
<xsl:output method="text"/>

 <xsl:variable name="vNL" select="'&#xA;'"/>

 <xsl:template match="xsl:value-of">
  <xsl:value-of select=
    "string-length(@select)
    -
     string-length(translate(@select, $vNL, ''))"/>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

With itself as input, output:

0

It only works with input like this:

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
 xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"&gt;
<xsl:output method="text"/>

 <xsl:variable name="vNL" select="'&#xA;'"/>

 <xsl:template match="xsl:value-of">
  <xsl:value-of select=
    "string-length(@select)&#xA;
    -&#xA;
     string-length(translate(@select, $vNL, ''))"/>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Output:

2