XSLT 2.0 - looping over nodeset variable, but need to process other elements in loop as well - xslt-2.0

Question

I have a XML like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<nodes>
<n c="value2"/>
<n>Has a relation to node with value2</n>
<n>Has a relation to node with value2</n>
<n c="value"/>
<n>Has a relation to node with value</n>
<n c="value1"/>
<n>Has a relation to node with value1</n>
</nodes>
I sort all elements which have attributes in variable, then I iterate over this variable in for-each loop. But at the end of each loop, I need to print value of those elements which are below the currently processed element(in original XML) and have no atrribute.
That means: call apply-templates on <n> without attribute, but the "select" attr. in apply-templates does not work, probably because I´m now in variable loop.
Is there a solution for that?
Thanks
Here is the XSL:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="2.0">
<xsl:template match="/">
<xsl:apply-templates/>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="nodes">
<xsl:variable name="sorted">
<xsl:for-each select="n[#c]">
<xsl:sort select="#c"></xsl:sort>
<xsl:copy-of select="."></xsl:copy-of>
</xsl:for-each>
</xsl:variable>
<xsl:for-each select="$sorted/n">
<xsl:value-of select="#c"></xsl:value-of>
<xsl:apply-templates select="/nodes/n[2]"></xsl:apply-templates>
</xsl:for-each>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="n[not(#c)]">
<xsl:value-of select="."></xsl:value-of>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
This is just example,all this is a part of bigger project:)
Desired output with a more complicated XPAth(now even the simple one does not work) is:
Value
Has a relation to node with value
Value1
Has a relation to node with value1
Value2
Has a relation to node with value2
Has a relation to node with value2
Is it a bit clearer now?

Answer 1

Some thoughts: apply-templates without a select processes the child node of the current context node; in your input sample the n elements do not have any children at all. Furthermore in your variable you do a copy-of meaning you create new nodes that have no relation to the nodes in the input sample. So while I am not sure what you want to achieve your construction with apply-templates inside the for-each does not make sense, given the input sample you have posted and the variable you use.
I suspect you could use the XSLT 2.0 for-each-group group-starting-with as in
<xsl:template match="nodes">
<xsl:for-each-group select="n" group-starting-with="n[#c]">
<xsl:sort select="#c"/>
<xsl:value-of select="#c"/>
<xsl:apply-templates select="current-group() except ."/>
</xsl:for-each-group>
</xsl:template>
If that does not help then consider to post a small input sample with sample data and the corresponding output sample you want to create with XSLT 2.0, then we can make suggestions on how to achieve that.
[edit] Now that you have posted an output sample I post an enhanced version of my previous suggestion:
<xsl:stylesheet xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform" version="2.0">
<xsl:output method="text"/>
<xsl:template match="nodes">
<xsl:for-each-group select="n" group-starting-with="n[#c]">
<xsl:sort select="#c"/>
<xsl:value-of select="#c"/>
<xsl:text>
</xsl:text>
<xsl:apply-templates select="current-group() except ."/>
</xsl:for-each-group>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="n[not(#c)]">
<xsl:value-of select="."/>
<xsl:text>
</xsl:text>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
When I use Saxon 9.3 and run the stylesheet against your latest input sample the result is as follows:
value
Has a relation to node with value
value1
Has a relation to node with value1
value2
Has a relation to node with value2
Has a relation to node with value2
That is what you asked for I think so try that approach with your more complex real input.