<xsl:variable> Print out value of XSL variable using <xsl:value-of>

Question

I'm trying to output a variable's literal string value, after it is being set depending on whether a node exists or not. I think the condition check logic is correct. But it is not outputing the values...

<xsl:variable name="subexists"/>

<xsl:template match="class">
<xsl:copy><xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/></xsl:copy>
<xsl:choose>
    <xsl:when test="joined-subclass">
        <xsl:variable name="subexists" select="'true'"/>
    </xsl:when>
    <xsl:otherwise>
        <xsl:variable name="subexists" select="'false'"/>
    </xsl:otherwise>
</xsl:choose>
subexists:  <xsl:value-of select="$subexists" />

I want it to output the literal string of either "true" of "false". But it is not outputing anything. Please help! Thank you!!!

Answer 1

In this case no conditionals are needed to set the variable.

This one-liner XPath expression:

boolean(joined-subclass)

is true() only when the child of the current node, named joined-subclass exists and it is false() otherwise.

The complete stylesheet is:

<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
 xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
 <xsl:output omit-xml-declaration="yes"/>

 <xsl:template match="class">
   <xsl:variable name="subexists"
        select="boolean(joined-subclass)"
   />

   subexists:  <xsl:text/>
   <xsl:value-of select="$subexists" />
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Do note, that the use of the XPath function boolean() in this expression is to convert a node (or its absense) to one of the boolean values true() or false().