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RE: To namespace or not to Namespace ....

• From: "Michael Sokolov" <sokolov@ifactory.com>
• To: "'Andrew Welch'" <andrew.j.welch@gmail.com>, "'Dave Pawson'" <davep@d...>
• Date: Thu, 8 Apr 2010 08:23:11 -0400

A common usage pattern for us has been to use namespaces only when there are
in fact multiple sources of tagging in a single document, in our
application.  We're generally last-stop consumers of XML and don't need to
worry very much about others re-using our content - we deliver HTML.  And
when we do have namespaces (say when there is metadata encoded using dublin
core, and main text in a publisher's format), we tend to leave the primary
text unprefixed, to aid readability.

This saves us some of the headaches of namespaces, at least some of the
time.  Uche alluded to a vast list - to my way of thinking, the situation
can be summed up by the fact that whenever someone writes some XML
processing code that looks fine, but mysteriously fails to work, the problem
is very often due to a missing namespace declaration somewhere.

For those creating XML stores intended for re-use in other environments,
like David Lee I guess, I would tend to agree that namespacing seems like
the right thing to do.  However, who is the intended beneficiary of this
namespace largesse?  This discussion brings to mind Tommie Usdin's talk at
last year's Balisage, where she urged caution about the adoption of
standards for their own sake.  It might be that by the time namespaces
really become necessary, there will be other unforseen issues that make the
whole discussion moot.

-Mike

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Andrew Welch [mailto:andrew.j.welch@gmail.com] 
> Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2010 4:03 AM
> To: Dave Pawson
> Cc: Uche Ogbuji; Simon St.Laurent; xml-dev@lists.xml.org
> Subject: Re:  To namespace or not to Namespace ....
> 
> On 8 April 2010 08:18, Dave Pawson <davep@dpawson.co.uk> wrote:
> > On Wed, 7 Apr 2010 22:55:20 +0100
> > Andrew Welch <andrew.j.welch@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> I don't have a problem with namespaces, neither do most 
> people after 
> >> some exposure to them and some simple tips.
> >
> > But non XML authors do Andrew.
> >  Simon hinted at it. Introducing authors to xml is bad enough (all 
> > that crud around the text). Adding namespaces to it as well is 
> > probably too much.
> 
> The OP's problem is a common one:
> 
> - You have to create some new XML for your employer from 
> currently non-XML data
> - That XML will be used by customers, but also potentially 
> published for the wider public to use
> 
> Do you use a namespace?
> 
> As David said, currently the advice seems to be be a mix of "always"
> and "never".
> 
> I say always, others seem to be saying never.  The never 
> argument seems to be based on the added complexity, but that 
> complexity can be reduced and all the usual pitfalls avoided 
> easily enough using the 3 simple things I've mentioned.
> 
> There's a similar lack of consensus around versioning the 
> xml... which may well be David's next problem.
> 
> 
> 
> --
> Andrew Welch
> http://andrewjwelch.com
> Kernow: http://kernowforsaxon.sf.net/
> 
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• References:
  • Re: To namespace or not to Namespace ....
    • From: Andrew Welch <andrew.j.welch@gmail.com>