XPath test if node value is number

Test the value against NaN:

<xsl:if test="string(number(myNode)) != 'NaN'">
    <!-- myNode is a number -->
</xsl:if>

This is a shorter version (thanks @Alejandro):

<xsl:if test="number(myNode) = myNode">
    <!-- myNode is a number -->
</xsl:if>

The shortest possible way to test if the value contained in a variable $v can be used as a number is:

number($v) = number($v)

You only need to substitute the $v above with the expression whose value you want to test.

Explanation:

number($v) = number($v) is obviously true, if $v is a number, or a string that represents a number.

It is true also for a boolean value, because a number(true()) is 1 and number(false) is 0.

Whenever $v cannot be used as a number, then number($v) is NaN

and NaN is not equal to any other value, even to itself.

Thus, the above expression is true only for $v whose value can be used as a number, and false otherwise.

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