Hi all -- Can someone translate this into plain English for me? <xsl:variable name="uniqueTypes" select="ead/archdesc/dsc/descendant::*/container[not(@type=following::*/container/@type)]/@type" /> What exactly will this select? And (since it starts with the root node) will it select the exact same thing no matter where it's used? I thought I knew but it isn't behaving at all the way I expected. Thanks -- Michele +++++++++++++++ Michele Combs Lead Archivist Special Collections Research Center Syracuse University 315-443-2081 [log in to unmask] scrc.syr.edu library-blog.syr.edu/scrc