Encode URLs in XSL

Issue: You are updating a system which relies (too much?) on XSL-transformations to generate web content, and the system in question needs to be outfitted with URL encoding. Furthermore, you are using Microsoft's XSL-transformations (XslCompiledTransform) and hence are forced to use XSLT 1.0. Note: If you are using a system where XSLT v2.0 is available, there is a built-in function called url:encode() that you can use:

<xsl:variable 
  name="url-encoded-company-name"
  select="url:encode($company-name)"/>

Oh, back to our problem at hand (or, rather, a solution): In the world of Microsoft and XSL, you can have the magic of JScript to help you out. This is how:

1. Your XslCompiledTransform instances need to allow style sheets to execute scripts:

   //var transformer = new XslCompiledTransform(pathToFile);
   var settings = new XsltSettings(
     enableDocumentFunction: true, 
     enableScript: true);
   var transformer = new XslCompiledTransform(
     pathToFile, 
     settings, 
     new XmlUrlResolver());

   Note: I'm using C# 4's named parameters to visualize the API. If you're not running C# 4, don't pass the parameter names (the compiler will let you know you've done something bad ;-)). Also, the XmlUrlResolver passed in, is the default UrlResolver, so we're not doing anything magical there.

2. In a logical spot (an included template-xsl?), add some namespaces:

   <xsl:stylesheet
     version="1.0"
     xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
     xmlns:msxsl="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xslt"
     xmlns:url="http://a.unique.identifier/url-methods"
     exclude-result-prefixes="msxsl">

3. In the same file, add your magical JScript function:

   <msxsl:script language="JScript" implements-prefix="url">
   function encode(string)
   {
     return encodeURIComponent(string);
   }
   </msxsl:script>

4. In every XSL file that you would like to utilize this method, include the file itself ...

   <xsl:include href="UsefullStuff.xslt" />

5. ... add the namespace ...

   <xsl:stylesheet
     version="1.0"
     xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
     xmlns:url="http://a.unique.identifier/url-methods">

6. ... and then use the method where appropriate:

   <xsl:variable 
     name="url-encoded-company-name"
     select="url:encode(string($page-data/field[@id='company-name']/data/))"/>
   
   <td class="tabheadercell">
     <xsl:attribute 
       name="onclick">window.open('edit-company?name=<xsl:value-of
         select="$url-encoded-company-name"/>','_self');
     </xsl:attribute>
     Edit
   </td>

Some notes...

1. a.unique.identifier is variable, as is url-methods. Put whatever you like there. Should look like a URL though.
2. Make sure you send the string(...) value of your XSL selects to your method. Otherwise, bad things will happen.

Hope this helps.