find next-to-last node with xpath
docbook, xpath, xslt-1.0
Solution
Replace your xpath with this:
ancestor-or-self::section[position()=last()-1 or count(ancestor::section)=0][1]
Since you can already find the right node in all cases except one, I updated your xpath to also find the `first` section (`or count(ancestor::section)=0`), and then select (`[1]`) the first match (in reverse document order, since we are using the `ancestor-or-self` axis).
Problem
I have a XML document with `chapters` and nested `sections`. I am trying to find, for any section, the first second-level section ancestor. That is the next-to-last section in the `ancestor-or-self` axis. pseudo-code: ``` <chapter><title>mychapter</title> <section><title>first</title> <section><title>second</title> <more/><stuff/> </section> </section> </chapter> ``` my selector: ``` <xsl:apply-templates select="ancestor-or-self::section[last()-1]" mode="title.markup" /> ``` Of course that works until last()-1 isn't defined (the current node is the `first` section). If the current node is below the `second` section, i want the title `second`. Otherwise I want the title `first`.