## net.sf.saxon.om
Class Axis

    java.lang.Object
      net.sf.saxon.om.Axis

    public final class Axis

extends java.lang.Object

An axis, that is a direction of navigation in the document structure.

Field Summary
`static byte` `ANCESTOR` Constant representing the ancestor axis
`static byte` `ANCESTOR_OR_SELF` Constant representing the ancestor-or-self axis
`static byte` `ATTRIBUTE` Constant representing the attribute axis
`static java.lang.String[]` `axisJavaName` Table giving the name each axis
`static java.lang.String[]` `axisName` Table giving the name each axis
`static byte` `CHILD` Constant representing the child axis
`static byte` `DESCENDANT` Constant representing the descendant axis
`static byte` `DESCENDANT_OR_SELF` Constant representing the descendant-or-self axis
`static byte` `FOLLOWING` Constant representing the following axis
`static byte` `FOLLOWING_SIBLING` Constant representing the following-sibling axis
`static boolean[]` `isForwards` Table indicating for each axis whether it is in forwards document order
`static boolean[]` `isPeerAxis` Table indicating for each axis whether it is a peer axis.
`static boolean[]` `isSubtreeAxis` Table indicating for each axis whether it is contained within the subtree rooted at the origin node.
`static byte` `NAMESPACE` Constant representing the namespace axis
`static byte` `PARENT` Constant representing the parent axis
`static byte` `PRECEDING` Constant representing the preceding axis
`static byte` `PRECEDING_OR_ANCESTOR` Constant representing the preceding-or-ancestor axis.
`static byte` `PRECEDING_SIBLING` Constant representing the preceding-sibling axis
`static short[]` `principalNodeType` Table indicating the principal node type of each axis
`static byte` `SELF` Constant representing the self axis

Method Summary
`static boolean` `containsNodeKind(int axis, int nodeKind)` Determine whether a given kind of node can be found on a given axis
`static byte` `getAxisNumber(java.lang.String name)` Resolve an axis name into a symbolic constant representing the axis
`static boolean` `isAlwaysEmpty(int axis, int nodeKind)`

Methods inherited from class java.lang.Object
`clone, equals, finalize, getClass, hashCode, notify, notifyAll, toString, wait, wait, wait`

Field Detail

### ANCESTOR

    public static final byte ANCESTOR

  Constant representing the ancestor axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### ANCESTOR_OR_SELF

    public static final byte ANCESTOR_OR_SELF

  Constant representing the ancestor-or-self axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### ATTRIBUTE

    public static final byte ATTRIBUTE

  Constant representing the attribute axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### CHILD

    public static final byte CHILD

  Constant representing the child axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### DESCENDANT

    public static final byte DESCENDANT

  Constant representing the descendant axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### DESCENDANT_OR_SELF

    public static final byte DESCENDANT_OR_SELF

  Constant representing the descendant-or-self axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### FOLLOWING

    public static final byte FOLLOWING

  Constant representing the following axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### FOLLOWING_SIBLING

    public static final byte FOLLOWING_SIBLING

  Constant representing the following-sibling axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### NAMESPACE

    public static final byte NAMESPACE

  Constant representing the namespace axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### PARENT

    public static final byte PARENT

  Constant representing the parent axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### PRECEDING

    public static final byte PRECEDING

  Constant representing the preceding axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### PRECEDING_SIBLING

    public static final byte PRECEDING_SIBLING

  Constant representing the preceding-sibling axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### SELF

    public static final byte SELF

  Constant representing the self axis

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### PRECEDING_OR_ANCESTOR

    public static final byte PRECEDING_OR_ANCESTOR

  Constant representing the preceding-or-ancestor axis. This axis is used internally by the xsl:number implementation, it returns the union of the preceding axis and the ancestor axis.

  See Also:
    Constant Field Values

### principalNodeType

    public static final short[] principalNodeType

  Table indicating the principal node type of each axis

### isForwards

    public static final boolean[] isForwards

  Table indicating for each axis whether it is in forwards document order

### isPeerAxis

    public static final boolean[] isPeerAxis

  Table indicating for each axis whether it is a peer axis. An axis is a peer axis if no node on the axis is an ancestor of another node on the axis.

### isSubtreeAxis

    public static final boolean[] isSubtreeAxis

  Table indicating for each axis whether it is contained within the subtree rooted at the origin node.

### axisName

    public static final java.lang.String[] axisName

  Table giving the name each axis

### axisJavaName

    public static final java.lang.String[] axisJavaName

  Table giving the name each axis

Method Detail

### getAxisNumber

    public static byte getAxisNumber(java.lang.String name)
                              throws XPathException

  Resolve an axis name into a symbolic constant representing the axis

  Parameters:
    `name` -
  Returns:
    integer value representing the named axis
  Throws:
    `XPathException`

### isAlwaysEmpty

    public static boolean isAlwaysEmpty(int axis,
                                        int nodeKind)

### containsNodeKind

    public static boolean containsNodeKind(int axis,
                                           int nodeKind)

  Determine whether a given kind of node can be found on a given axis

Copyright (c) Saxonica Limited. All rights reserved.