How do XML NameSpace aware processors react to NS definations?

[Amit Rekhi]

 I have gone through the latest XML NameSpaces Draft , but I have not been able to figure out the complete behaviour of XML NameSpace software and so the ques. below.

Hello,
            I am confused as to how XML NameSpace aware processors would process:- 

            - Namespace definations (eg. xmlns:edi = "http://www.my.org/directory")
            - Nameprefixes present in XML files (eg. <edi:Segment>)

            Looking at the "xmlns" attribute value (the NameSpace Name) it is difficult to say what it signifies.eg. 
    
            * xmlns:validate  #FIXED "http://www.org/directory" - points to a directory of say validating programs, let's say a set of DLLs.

            * xmlns:xsl  #FIXED "www.w3c.org/TR/WD-xsl"  - points to the new XSL specification.

            How would an XML NS processor know what each NameSpace Name points to?
            Or is there some kind of hardcoding done in the processor which tells it what each NameSpace Name means?
 eg. if "www.w3c.org/TR/WD-xsl" is encountered , it means the XSL spec.

            What happens when an element name prefixed with a NS prefix is encountered? How does the XML NS processor process such names?
 eg.
 Let's say I have an xml file :-

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<Root xmlns:ContentCheck="http://www.my.org/checkdirectory">
 <ContentCheck:Alpha>Test Data</ContentCheck:Alpha>
</Root>

Let's also assume that  http://www.my.org/checkdirectory points to a directory of validating dlls, one of which is Alpha.dll which <ContentCheck:Alpha> is supposed to refer to.

1) How would an XML NS procesor know that <ContentCheck:Alpha> is actually supposed to refer to Alpha.dll present in http://www.my.org/checkdirectory  ?

2) I being the author of my XML file know that http://www.my.org/checkdirectory refers to a directory of validating programs, but how the XML NS processor know this?


                    Thanks in advance for any answers,
                                                                                                                                    AMIT

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