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Re: Question on xml namespace

• To: Saha Rabindra N <saha.rn@m...>
• Subject: Re: Question on xml namespace
• From: James Fuller <jim.fuller@r...>
• Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 16:50:17 +0200
• Cc: XML Developers List <xml-dev@l...>
• In-reply-to: <20050419134908.16240.qmail@m...>
• Organization: Webcomposite
• References: <20050419134908.16240.qmail@m...>
• Reply-to: jim.fuller@r...
• User-agent: Mozilla Thunderbird 1.0 (Macintosh/20041206)

Saha Rabindra N wrote:


>>Hi All,
>> Can somebody tell me the real use of xml namespace in xml domain only.
>>I know that xml namespace is useful in xsl.
>>  
>>
>  
>
XML namespaces exist to avoid name collisions.

It allows independent developers to create XML vocabularies which may
use the same local name e.g. <first/> <last/> of an address book markup
maybe different to <first/> <last/> element in a purchase order which
requires a name for shipping...in any event we can ensure
differentiation by associating a unique identifier to a namespace prefix
e.g. <address:first/> and <purchase:first/>.

The unique identifier and prefix is associated using xmlns
attribute...the URI (commonly urn or HTTP URI) is just an identifier.
(check out http://www.rpbourret.com/xml/NamespacesFAQ.htm#q12_3).


>>But is there any real use of namespace to represent one xml document.
>>Can somebody provide some example ?
>>  
>>
>  
>
if u mean if you have only one XML vocabulary and do not need to
disambiguate between multiple vocabs...then admittedly this type of
local processing probably doesnt really need namespaces.

though...as time goes on and with increased XML usage you will want to
be able to work with composite documents which contain a number of XML
vocabularies (dense and layered information=compelling)...and depending
on some sort of physicality, like a seperate file in a file system
demarcating differences in vocabulary just wont work.

hth, Jim Fuller

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