XPointer question

Charles Reitzel (creitzel@mediaone.net)
Thu, 3 Dec 1998 11:34:53 -0500 (EST)

Ok. To do datatypes using NOTATIONs, and other useful things, I've got all
"real" data in elements, not attributes. That's fine. I'd still like to
use XPointer to point to a container element based on the values of one *or*
*more* contained elements.

Pretend for a moment that real data is in attributes. Then I can do
something like:

root().descendant( 1, FOV0001A_POSITION,
BROKERAGE_ACCT_NBR, "X01362986",
BROKERAGE_CUSIP, "AB3839283AVS" )

This gets the first "position" for a given account ## and security ID
(CUSIP). These two fields would make up the primary (unique) key to a
positions table in a database.

Is there a way to do something similar if BROKERAGE_ACCT_NBR and
BROKERAGE_CUSIP are child elements of FOV0001A_POSITION? It strikes me as a
somewhat difficult problem in the general tree-oriented case, but easy in
table oriented cases. Is there (or should there be) a special case to find
elements by their immediate children? How do other folks approach this issue?

Charles Reitzel
creitzel@mediaone.net