Summary of Namespaces and Validation

[Mark Tucker]

Well, 

	There seem to be two camps on the issue of how Namespaces
interact with DTD.


*****************************************
	Camp1 : Most of this Newsgroup 
*****************************************

		Documents with Namespaces can be validated provided
		the prefix abbreviations are used consistently.
		
		DTD processors are un-aware of Namespaces.

	<PN:NAME>  coexists with <BK:NAME>, because they
	use different prefixes.

	DTD processors never convert XML Element names
	into their "Expanded Form" (See 6.3 of the Namespa

	This camp seems to be equivalent to saying: 
		"Treat <PN:NAME> as an XML ELEMENT tag with a colon in it."



*****************************************
	Camp 2 : Tim Bray, Andrew Layman
*****************************************

		To validate a document that uses namespaces, do  all
		the ELEMENT and ATTRIBUTE handling using the Expanded
		Names.
		
	This group thinks namespaces coexist with DTD's, provided
	both the DTD and the document instance specify consistent
	URI's for the namespaces. The actual prefix abbreviations
	used in the DTD or the document instance don't matter.

	For example, the DTD could define
	    xmlns:BOOK="uri:book_defn"
        and then define <!ELEMENT BOOK:NAME ...>
	    
	while a document instance could define
	    xmlns:BK="uri:book_defn"
	and use <BK:NAME>

	Proper Namespace aware code will use the expanded name
		"uri:book_defn" // "NAME"
	in handling the element and its definition.

	
	 
*****************************************
	Camp 3 : Implemented Namespace Aware Code
*****************************************

			What does code out there do?
	
	       


-- 
==============================================================
Mark Tucker			tucker_m at regenstrief.iupui.edu
Regenstrief Institute		phone: (317) 630-2606
1001 W. 10'th St; Indianapolis, IN; 46202-2859;	fax: (317) 630-6962

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