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Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness

From: Elliotte Harold <elharo AT metalab.unc.edu>
To: peter murray-rust <pm286 AT cam.ac.uk>
Cc: xom-interest AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2006 07:27:01 -0400

peter murray-rust wrote:

I am not clear why the element prefixes have to be hardcoded other than for serialization. The only workaround I can think of is to copy the nodes and change the prefixes.

The prefixes are hard coded because they are significant; for instance to DTDs and some pre-namespace tools. The worst problem in practice is probably XPath expressions in attribute values, with DTDs a close second.

At one point a few years ago I attempted to implement a non-significant prefix scheme for JDOM. It simply did not work; and I doubt any such scheme could except in very limited circumstances. I wish that it were otherwise, but it's not. This is simply one of the rougher edges of XML. Sorry. :-(

--
Elliotte Rusty Harold elharo AT metalab.unc.edu
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[XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Ed Davies, 09/22/2006
- Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Elliotte Harold, 09/22/2006
  - Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Ed Davies, 09/22/2006
    - Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, peter murray-rust, 09/24/2006
      - Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Elliotte Harold, 09/24/2006
      - Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Elliotte Harold, 09/24/2006
        
        Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, peter murray-rust, 09/24/2006
        
        Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Tatu Saloranta, 09/24/2006
        
        Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Elliotte Harold, 09/24/2006
        
        Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Tatu Saloranta, 09/24/2006
        Re: [XOM-interest] Higher level namespace declarations for compactness, Wolfgang Hoschek, 09/25/2006