# File rexml/quickpath.rb, line 48
  def QuickPath::filter elements, path
			return elements if path.nil? or path == '' or elements.size == 0
			case path
			when /^\/u											# Descendant
				return axe( elements, "descendant-or-self", $' )
			when /^\?\b(\[-\]*)\b::/u							# Axe
				axe_name = $1
				rest = $'
				return axe( elements, $1, $' )
			when /^\(?=\b([:!\_][-\_]*:)?[-!\\_]*\b([^:(]|$)|\)/u	# Child
				rest = $'
				results = []
				elements.each do |element|
					results |= filter( element.to_a, rest )
				end
				return results
			when /^\?(\[-\]*)\/u							# / Function
				return function( elements, $1, $' )
			when Namespace::NAMESPLIT		# Element name
				name = $2
				ns = $1
				rest = $'
				elements.delete_if do |element|
					!(element.kind_of? Element and 
						(element.expanded_name == name or
						 (element.name == name and
						  element.namespace == Functions.namespace_context[ns])))
				end
				return filter( elements, rest )
			when /^\/u
				matches = []
				elements.each do |element|
					matches |= predicate( element.to_a, path[1..-1] ) if element.kind_of? Element
				end
				return matches
			when /^\/u												# Predicate
				return predicate( elements, path )
			when /^\?\\/u										# Ancestor
				return axe( elements, "ancestor", $' )
			when /^\?\/u											# Parent
				return filter( elements.collect{|e|e.parent}, $' )
			when /^\?\/u												# Self
				return filter( elements, $' )
			when /^\/u													# Any
				results = []
				elements.each do |element|
					results |= filter( [element], $' ) if element.kind_of? Element
					#if element.kind_of? Element
					#	children = element.to_a
					#	children.delete_if { |child| !child.kind_of?(Element) }
					#	results |= filter( children, $' )
					#end
				end
				return results
			end
			return []
		end