Ok then what if I have 10 variables/params that ALL need to be passed to
each sub template?

The reason for this is that the user creates document definitions via a
wizard.  The wizard offers up a bunch of options on how to format certain
sets of data.  I could create a template for each possible combination of
options but there would be far to much duplicated code to manage.  The
property 'style' which is loaded into a param dictates the overall layout
format.  The other properties dictate some sub formatting, like place option
controls on right or left.  So what I have is:

<xsl:template select="//object">
   <xsl:param name="style" select="metrics/render/@style"/>

   <!-- sub-formatting properties -->
   <xsl:param name="controllayout" select="metrics/render/@controllayout"/>
   ... ten more params here that dictate the formatting style

   <xsl:choose>
       <xsl:when test="@style=1">
           <xsl:call-template name="LINEITEM_GRID"/>
       </xsl:when>
       <xsl:when test="@style="2">
           <xsl:call-template name="LINEITEM_BLOCK"/>
       </xsl:when>
       ... more when test
    </xsl:choose>
</xsl:template>

In the section sub-formatting properties there are currently 10 params and
there will be more as the wizard development progresses. Now since each
child template runs in the same node as caller I can simply move the
definition of each of the sub-formatting param into each of the
call-template templates.  I know what the solution is, but my issue is that
in this particular circumstance I am duplicating each of those params or
variables in each child template.  This in its self is not the issue and of
course works fine.  My issue is that I end up with a fair amount of
duplicated code, approx 80 lines (10 params * 8 styles).  I hate copying and
pasting code like that it lacks elegance and becomes inherently more
difficult to maintain.  From my point of view a param defined in a template
should be automatically accessible to the template called within the that
template.  Since the call-template runs in the context of the current node
why should it not also exist in the context of params or variable also
defined during that node iteration?  Now I realize that in my above example
the values assigned to the params are available in each child template
because they belong to the same node set so perhaps this is not the best
example but do you get my drift?

I love the functionality of XSLT it solves a lot of problems that exist in
web developments but like any language I find it lacking in some regards.
But if we don't bring stuff like this up the language never grows.  It is
like CSS, I have been asking for years for a RADIUS attribute on borders
allowing for rounded border corners.

Cheers
Keith