AND (Another Namespace Dilemma) ... DTD Validation

[mrossi@csc.com]

OK, I've been watching Namespaces threads looking for this answer, but no
one seems to have yet hit the head of this particular nail. So ... if
Namespace prefixes are irrelevant, how do I write a (namespace-aware) DTD
to validate a document instance? Take the following for example:

<furn:Table xmlns:furn="urn:org-furniture-household">
   <furn:Parts>
      <html:TABLE xmlns:html="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
         ... other table entries for top, legs, etc. ...
      </html:TABLE>
   </furn:Parts>
</furn:Table>

Now I can write a DTD for all the "furn" elements with or without the
"furn:" prefix (although it's a pain), using something like:

<!ELEMENT (Table | furn:Table) (Parts | furn:Parts)> etc., etc.
               (hmmm, can I still do that with XML? Well, another topic)

But if I don't know what prefix is going to be used there's no hope of
validating an instance. Am I missing something?

I also don't see right off how W3C XML Schemas (can't we just call this
XSD?) will help, but I'm more hopeful of built-in support there. HELP!

Michael A. Rossi
Computer Sciences Corporation
mailto:mrossi@csc.com
856-983-4400 x4911