xslt-lab/site/content/xslt/functions/xsl-decimal-format.md

title, description, date, version, versionLabel, category, syntax, tags

title	description	date	version	versionLabel	category	syntax	tags
xsl:decimal-format	Defines a named decimal format controlling how format-number() formats numbers in XSLT 1.0 and later.	2026-04-19T00:00:00Z	1.0	XSLT 1.0	element	<xsl:decimal-format name="name" decimal-separator="." grouping-separator="," NaN="NaN"/>	xslt reference xpath xslt1

Description

xsl:decimal-format is a top-level declaration that defines the characters and symbols used when format-number() converts a numeric value to a string. By giving the format a name you can define multiple locale-specific formats in a single stylesheet, then pass the format name as the third argument to format-number().

If no name attribute is given, the declaration sets the default decimal format used when format-number() is called with only two arguments. Every attribute has a default value, so you only need to specify the attributes that differ from those defaults.

The decimal-separator and grouping-separator characters used in the format pattern passed to format-number() must match those declared in the decimal format — the processor interprets the pattern characters according to the active decimal format.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
name	QName	No	Name of this format; omit for the default format.
decimal-separator	char	No	Character used as the decimal point (default .).
grouping-separator	char	No	Character used as the thousands separator (default ,).
infinity	string	No	String representing positive infinity (default Infinity).
minus-sign	char	No	Character used as the minus sign (default -).
NaN	string	No	String representing NaN (default NaN).
percent	char	No	Character interpreted as percent in a pattern (default %).
per-mille	char	No	Character interpreted as per-mille in a pattern (default ‰).
zero-digit	char	No	Digit character representing zero in a pattern (default 0).
digit	char	No	Character representing an optional digit in a pattern (default #).
pattern-separator	char	No	Separates positive and negative sub-patterns (default ;).

Return value

xsl:decimal-format is a declaration; it produces no output.

Examples

Formatting numbers with European locale

Input XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<prices>
  <price>1234567.89</price>
  <price>0.5</price>
</prices>

Stylesheet:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
  xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
  <xsl:output method="xml" indent="yes"/>

  <xsl:decimal-format name="european"
    decimal-separator=","
    grouping-separator="."/>

  <xsl:template match="/prices">
    <formatted>
      <xsl:for-each select="price">
        <price><xsl:value-of select="format-number(., '#.##0,00', 'european')"/></price>
      </xsl:for-each>
    </formatted>
  </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Output:

<formatted>
  <price>1.234.567,89</price>
  <price>0,50</price>
</formatted>

Overriding the default format

Input XML:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<data>
  <value>3.14159</value>
  <value>-7</value>
</data>

Stylesheet:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
  xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
  <xsl:output method="text"/>

  <xsl:decimal-format NaN="n/a" infinity="inf"/>

  <xsl:template match="/data">
    <xsl:for-each select="value">
      <xsl:value-of select="format-number(., '#,##0.##')"/>
      <xsl:text>&#10;</xsl:text>
    </xsl:for-each>
  </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Output:

3.14
-7

Notes

• All characters used in a decimal format must be distinct from each other.
• The format picture string passed to format-number() is interpreted using the characters declared in the active decimal format, not literal ASCII symbols.
• In XSLT 2.0, xsl:decimal-format gains additional attributes and the semantics align more closely with Unicode CLDR.
• It is an error to have two xsl:decimal-format declarations with the same name (or two unnamed declarations) that differ in any attribute value.

See also

• format-number()
• xsl:number