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A common use of the XSLT translate() function is to change the case of text strings within a document; however, you may run into situations where you need to change the actual element and attribute name cases, not simply text strings within them.

For instance, you may receive well-formed XML submissions from multiple sources which use the same element/attribute names, but one may use uppercase, another upper-lower, and another all lowercase. Or you may be trying to integrate data from disparate XML data sets and need to change the case for consistency across tag names.

You can use the XSLT translate() function to do this for you. The XSLT stylesheet below is a standalone process that converts one XML document into another, changing the case of all elements and attributes from uppercase to lowercase.

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>

<!– XSLT to transform all element/attribute names to lowercase –>

<xsl:stylesheet version=”1.0″ xmlns:xsl=”http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform“>

   <xsl:output method=”xml” encoding=”UTF-8″ version=”1.0″ />
   
   <xsl:template matçh=”*”>

      <xsl:variable name=”vElement”
          select=”translate(name(), ‘ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ’,'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz’)” />

      <xsl:element name=”{$vElement}”>
         <xsl:for-each select=”@*”>
            <xsl:variable name=”vAttribute”
                select=”translate(name(), ‘ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ’,'abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz’)” />
            <xsl:attribute name=”{$vAttributename}”><xsl:value-of select=”.”/></xsl:attribute>
         </xsl:for-each>
         <xsl:apply-templates />
      </xsl:element>
   </xsl:template>

</xsl:stylesheet>

The output method is, of course, XML. Note that only one template is required. Use the template to matçh on any element. Then, set a local variable to pick up the element name, matçh all uppercase letters in the name, and replace them with lowercase letters. Next, for each element, matçh on any attributes, create a new local variable, and apply the same translate rule to attribute names. Finally, apply templates to output the transformed element and attribute names.

The resulting XML file will now have lowercase names for all elements and attributes. All text and attribute contents will pass through intact.

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Failure of Cisco devices to power up correctly may seem puzzling if they’re known to work in other configurations. Sometimes the power outlets or cables may really be at fault.

To diagnose such issues, simply use a multimeter to test the voltages you’re getting. After testing the voltages, you may find that changing the cables and/or changing what’s plugged into each outlet will solve the problem.

Learn more about Cisco Training here.

 Have you ever tried to erase a portion of an image in a straight line? This can be rather difficult using just the mouse and the Eraser tool. Luckily, there’s a way to do this without a lot of fuss. Instead of erasing in a continuous motion with the Eraser tool, just click your mouse where you want to begin erasing. Then, press and hold [shift] and click on the end point. Photoshop automatically erases the area between each click in a perfectly straight line for you.

Check out upcoming Photoshop classes here.

Sometimes you want to have your cake and eat it too!   When you chart data in Excel, you don’t need to abandon your raw data. Here’s how to quickly display a data table below your chart.

To display a data table with your chart:

1. Launch Excel and open any workbook with an existing chart.
2. Right-click on the chart area and choose Chart Options from the resulting shortcut menu.
3. Click on the Data Table tab.
4. Select the Show Data Table check box.
5. Deselect the Show Legend Keys check box if you’d prefer to hide your series’ information; otherwise, leave the check box selected.
6. Click OK to display the data table below your chart

View upcoming Excel classes here.

GUEST BLOGGER: Cristian Easterly, Applications Instructor

When you are creating a document in Microsoft Word, you may want to add some kind of visual element like a chart. Instead of creating a chart in another design based program, you can use the chart tool in Word. When you insert a chart, you will automatically see a second window appear on your screen. Microsoft Excel will automatically open so that you can edit the data that will be displayed in your chart. For those of you who are Microsoft Word users, you may not need to use Excel very often. And for those of you that are Excel users, you may not need to use Word very often. The great thing about adding charts is that it works with both programs and makes it very easy to understand.

When you edit the data in the Excel window, it translates into a chart inside of the Word window. There is no need to create a chart in another program. You can now use two of your Office applications at the same time to add a new visual element to your Word document. You also still have the ability to open the Excel window and edit the data to update your chart.

All you need to do is find your point of insertion in your Word document, click on the Insert tab of your ribbon, and choose chart. Once you choose your chart type, it will open Excel and place it side by side with your Word application window. Then, you can edit your chart. Anytime you are selected on your chart in the Word application window, your chart tools contextual tab will appear at the top of your ribbon. It will give you all of your options to format your chart.

When you think of worksheet hyperlinks, you probably think of website links. There’s another great use for hyperlinks in your workbook that you might not use to its full potential: internal links. You can create a hyperlink that takes you to another location within the same workbook when you click on it.

For example, if your workbook contains an Overview worksheet, which refers to more detailed data in other worksheets within the same workbook, you might want to allow users to quickly jump to that data.

To create an internal hyperlink:
1. Launch Excel and open the workbook to which you want to add an internal hyperlink.
2. Select the cell you want to make your hyperlink.
3. Choose Insert | Hyperlink from the menu bar or press [Ctrl][K] to open the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.
4. Click the Place In This Document icon on the left.
5. Specify the text you want the linked cell to display in the Text To Display text box.
6. Enter a cell reference for your hyperlink destination in the Type The Cell Reference text box and choose a worksheet from the list box. Note that any named ranges in the workbook are also available as hyperlink destinations.
7. Click OK to create the hyperlink.
Now when a user clicks on the cell that contains the specified text, the active cell jumps to your specified destination.

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Have you ever made changes to an original and then accidentally saved over it without making a backup copy? Well, if this sounds vaguely familiar, then we’ve got some good news for future accidents. To recover your original image, just go to the History panel and click on the opening snapshot to make it active. Then click on the Create New Document From Current State button at the base of the panel. Upon doing so, your original image will be displayed in a new document ready for you to press Save.

Now to go back to your other image and pick up where you left off, just go to the History panel and click on the last History State listed. It’s a life saver!

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They say a picture is worth a thousand words, unless you’re talking SEO. If your site uses Java script-powered drop-down menus, or uses image links, you might not be getting optimal search results. Search engine robots and spiders prefer to follow text links, so if you use images in your navigation bar, be sure to also include text links. The same is true of links within script.

To be even more effective, put the text links first when you write your source code. Why? Robots follow the first link they find on a given page. They won’t bother to follow additional links on the same page.

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Exciting offer from the Blog of John Weston:

“This is cool. Microsoft is willing to PAY you to try some software and learn some stuff. And you could also win a very slick laptop in the process.

“Huh? Seriously?”

Well.. in a sense. We’re announcing today an opportunity for a limited (roughly 5,000) number of people to get a $20 coupon for the Microsoft Store, simply by doing two things:

1. Download the Private Cloud evaluation software. (System Center 2012 Release Candidate, and Windows Server 2008 R2 w/SP1 evaluation). If prompted for a Promo Code, enter “CLOUD”.
2. Sign-up for and go through a Virtual Lab entitled “Explore Microsoft’s Private Cloud”.

And once those two items are completed, Microsoft will e-mail you and the other first 4,999 people that complete it) a code redeemable for $20 off at the Microsoft Store.

NOTE: It is VERY important that you provide valid information with your Live ID sign in, because that’s how we will be able to reward you, and it’s to that e-mail address that we will send the code to retrieve your $20 coupon for use at the Online Store.”

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