XSLT and Default namespaces

Hi,

I want to transform an xml document that has declared a namespace, for
example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<test xmlns="myns">
 <a>
  <b></b>
 </a>
</test>

The corresponding XSLT is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
 <xsl:output method="xml" version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" indent="yes"/>

 <xsl:template match="/">
  <xsl:copy-of select="a/b"/>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

The resulting output document is empty.
When i dont use a default namespace and prefix the root elements in the
source document, and also declare the namespace in the XSL and use it in my
X-path, it works:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<x:test xmlns:x="myns">
 <a>
  <b></b>
 </a>
</x:test>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
 xmlns:x="myns">
 <xsl:output method="xml" version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" indent="yes"/>

 <xsl:template match="/">
  <xsl:copy-of select="x:test/a/b"/>
 </xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>

Result:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<b xmlns:x="myns"></b>

So, after this lengthy introduction the following questions:
1. Is there a way to make this work without having to contantly prefix all
my xpath queries
2. Secondly, MS has come up with XDR, which is declared as follows:
    xmlns="x-schema:myschema.xdr"
    The problem is, that automatic validating happens in this case in tools
such as XML spy. I cant find a way to declare that namespace inside an XSLT
without having problems running the XLST because validation kicks in.....

Anybody know some workarounds for these things?

Grtz,
Raimond



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