xml-dev - Re: Namespaces - defaulting question (re:WD-xml-names19980916)

[John Cowan <cowan@locke.ccil.org>]

Steve Harris wrote:

> Reading the Namespaces specification, I've found contradictory examples
> of namespace defaulting. Any input in determining the proper
> interpretation would be greatly appreciated.

Your problem is that you are confusing *scope* with *defaulting*.
The scope of a namespace declaration is the whole of the element
in which it is contained, including the element type.
So the comment below is true:

>   The first example is as follows:
> <?xml version="1.0"?>
>   <x xmlns:edi='http://ecommerce.org/schema'>
>   <!-- the edi namespace applies to the "x" element and contents -->
> </x>

> Here, the inline comment suggests that the element 'x' now lies within
> the 'edi' namespace.

So it does, in the sense that the scope of the "edi:' prefix is the
element "x".  But the name "x" is not defaulted to the edi namespace;
it would have to be "edi:x" for that, or the edi namespace would
have to also be the default namespace through the presence of
an "xmlns='http://ecommerce.org/schema'" attribute.

Instead the namespace of "x" is the current default namespace if any,
or no namespace if there is no current default.

-- 
John Cowan	http://www.ccil.org/~cowan		cowan@ccil.org
	You tollerday donsk?  N.  You tolkatiff scowegian?  Nn.
	You spigotty anglease?  Nnn.  You phonio saxo?  Nnnn.
		Clear all so!  'Tis a Jute.... (Finnegans Wake 16.5)

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