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On the rare chance that someone might care what I think....
Namespaces seem to be a way to embed (read: bolt) one (or more) XML
document(s) in another "root" document. However, I believe that there are
several problems with the spec:
1) Namespaces can be included in any start tag. This assumes that a foriegn
document can be inserted anywhere in the host document. However, this may
not always be the case.
2) Both the foriegn documents, the host document and the **total** document
cannot be easily validated with current DTDs conventions.
3) The whole "namespace name = URI" is confusing and open to interpretation.
How does one overcome these problems? Well, here's an idea:
Let's say we have host document with the DTD:
<!ELEMENT %hostPrefix;host (%hostPrefix;child1 | %hostPrefix;child2)*>
<!ELEMENT %hostPrefix;child1 #PCDATA>
<!ELEMENT %hostPrefix;child2 #PCDATA>
and the foriegn document:
<!ELEMENT %foriegnPrefix;foriegn (%foriegnPrefix;childA |
%foriegnPrefix;childB)*>
<!ELEMENT %foriegnPrefix;childA #PCDATA>
<!ELEMENT %foriegnPrefix;childB #PCDATA>
Then we have the document (excuse "pretty" White Space):
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE host [
<!--
1. define foriegn prefix "f:"
2. define foriegn dtd for validation
-->
<!ENTITY % foreignPrefix "f:">
<!ENTITY % foreigndtd SYSTEM "http://www.foo.bar";>
<!--
1. define host prefix "" for 'default' namespace
2. define host dtd for validation
3. define where foriegn language can go in
-->
<!ENTITY % hostPrefix "">
<!ENTITY % hostdtd SYSTEM "http://www.food.beer";>
<!ELEMENT % child1 (#PCDATA | f:foriegn)*>
<!--
include the dtds
-->
%hostdtd;
%foriegndtd;
]>
<host>
<child1>blablabla</child1>
<child2>blablabla</child2>
<child1>
<f:foriegn>
<f:childA>blablabla</f:childB>
<f:childB>blablabla</f:childB>
</f:foriegn>
</child1>
</host>
Would that work as an alternate namespace scheme (althought is seems ugly,
and error-prone too)?
---
Jimmy Cerra
"If the path is set in stone, use a sledgehammer"
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