--- a/genshi/template/base.py
+++ b/genshi/template/base.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
-# Copyright (C) 2006-2008 Edgewall Software
+# Copyright (C) 2006-2009 Edgewall Software
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
@@ -321,16 +321,6 @@
     provided by this factory.
     """
 
-    def compare_directives(self):
-        """Return a function that takes two directive classes and compares
-        them to determine their relative ordering.
-        """
-        def _get_index(cls):
-            if cls in self._dir_order:
-                return self._dir_order.index(cls)
-            return 0
-        return lambda a, b: cmp(_get_index(a[0]), _get_index(b[0]))
-
     def get_directive(self, name):
         """Return the directive class for the given name.
         
@@ -340,6 +330,20 @@
         """
         return self._dir_by_name.get(name)
 
+    def get_directive_index(self, dir_cls):
+        """Return a key for the given directive class that should be used to
+        sort it among other directives on the same `SUB` event.
+        
+        The default implementation simply returns the index of the directive in
+        the `directives` list.
+        
+        :param dir_cls: the directive class
+        :return: the sort key
+        """
+        if dir_cls in self._dir_order:
+            return self._dir_order.index(dir_cls)
+        return len(self._dir_order)
+
 
 class Template(DirectiveFactory):
     """Abstract template base class.
@@ -451,7 +455,7 @@
             if kind is SUB:
                 directives = []
                 substream = data[1]
-                for cls, value, namespaces, pos in data[0]:
+                for _, cls, value, namespaces, pos in sorted(data[0]):
                     directive, substream = cls.attach(self, substream, value,
                                                       namespaces, pos)
                     if directive:

--- a/genshi/template/directives.py
+++ b/genshi/template/directives.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
-# Copyright (C) 2006-2008 Edgewall Software
+# Copyright (C) 2006-2009 Edgewall Software
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
@@ -527,7 +527,7 @@
 
     def __call__(self, stream, directives, ctxt, **vars):
         def _generate():
-            if _eval_expr(self.expr, ctxt, vars):
+            if not self.expr or _eval_expr(self.expr, ctxt, vars):
                 stream.next() # skip start tag
                 previous = stream.next()
                 for event in stream:
@@ -538,13 +538,6 @@
                     yield event
         return _apply_directives(_generate(), directives, ctxt, vars)
 
-    @classmethod
-    def attach(cls, template, stream, value, namespaces, pos):
-        if not value:
-            return None, stream[1:-1]
-        return super(StripDirective, cls).attach(template, stream, value,
-                                                 namespaces, pos)
-
 
 class ChooseDirective(Directive):
     """Implementation of the ``py:choose`` directive for conditionally selecting

--- a/genshi/template/markup.py
+++ b/genshi/template/markup.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
-# Copyright (C) 2006-2008 Edgewall Software
+# Copyright (C) 2006-2009 Edgewall Software
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
@@ -131,7 +131,8 @@
                                                 self.filepath, pos[1])
                     args = dict([(name.localname, value) for name, value
                                  in attrs if not name.namespace])
-                    directives.append((cls, args, ns_prefix.copy(), pos))
+                    directives.append((factory.get_directive_index(cls), cls,
+                                       args, ns_prefix.copy(), pos))
                     strip = True
 
                 new_attrs = []
@@ -143,14 +144,14 @@
                                                     self.filepath, pos[1])
                         if type(value) is list and len(value) == 1:
                             value = value[0][1]
-                        directives.append((cls, value, ns_prefix.copy(),
-                                           pos))
+                        directives.append((factory.get_directive_index(cls),
+                                           cls, value, ns_prefix.copy(), pos))
                     else:
                         new_attrs.append((name, value))
                 new_attrs = Attrs(new_attrs)
 
                 if directives:
-                    directives.sort(self.compare_directives())
+                    directives.sort()
                     dirmap[(depth, tag)] = (directives, len(new_stream),
                                             strip)
 

--- a/genshi/template/text.py
+++ b/genshi/template/text.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
 #
-# Copyright (C) 2006-2008 Edgewall Software
+# Copyright (C) 2006-2009 Edgewall Software
 # All rights reserved.
 #
 # This software is licensed as described in the file COPYING, which
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@
                 cls = self.get_directive(command)
                 if cls is None:
                     raise BadDirectiveError(command)
-                directive = cls, value, None, (self.filepath, lineno, 0)
+                directive = 0, cls, value, None, (self.filepath, lineno, 0)
                 dirmap[depth] = (directive, len(stream))
                 depth += 1
 
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@
                 cls = self.get_directive(command)
                 if cls is None:
                     raise BadDirectiveError(command)
-                directive = cls, value, None, (self.filepath, lineno, 0)
+                directive = 0, cls, value, None, (self.filepath, lineno, 0)
                 dirmap[depth] = (directive, len(stream))
                 depth += 1