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Re: My report on experiments with unused namespaces

• From: Amelia A Lewis <amyzing@talsever.com>
• To: "xml-dev@lists.xml.org" <xml-dev@lists.xml.org>
• Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2010 14:03:41 -0400

Heyo ...

On Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:35:59 -0400, Costello, Roger L. wrote:
> [Definition] Unused namespace: a namespace in an XML instance 
> document which is not used in any element or attribute name.

[snip]

How is this different from an "unused element".

Definition: an unused element is an element containing an ID attribute 
which is not referenced by an element with an IDREF attribute elsewhere 
in the document.

Or maybe we should define this as an "unused ID"?

In short: I don't see the point.  A namespace declaration is merely a 
particular form of attribute use which defines a certain sort of 
information.  In the best of all possible worlds, a namespace would 
only be defined when it was needed to scope an element or attribute use 
('scuse, I need to go cultivate my garden ...), but since multiple 
prominent uses of namespaces use the scoping mechanism for the 
*content* of attributes and elements, there is no way for a processor 
to know whether a namespace declaration is significant or not.

<a:b xmlns:a="b" xmlns:new="xyzzy">
  <a:c result="nothing happens">new:speak</a:c>
</a:b>

Question: is the declaration "xmlns:new" used or unused in this 
document?

Amy!
-- 
Amelia A. Lewis                    amyzing {at} talsever.com
The Bible contains six admonishments to homosexuals and three hundred 
sixty-two admonishments to heterosexuals.  That doesn't mean that God
doesn't love heterosexuals.  It's just that they need more supervision.

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: My report on experiments with unused namespaces
    • From: "Simon St.Laurent" <simonstl@simonstl.com>
  • Re: My report on experiments with unused namespaces
    • From: Michael Kay <mike@saxonica.com>

• References:
  • My report on experiments with unused namespaces
    • From: "Costello, Roger L." <costello@mitre.org>