RE: your comments on 4.6.1 Namespaces and Attributes

["Julian Reschke" <julian.reschke@xxxxxx>]

I still have problems with this section (which is now at 4.7.1):

<quote>
4.7.1 Namespaces and Attributes

   There is a frequently misunderstood aspect of the relationship
   between unprefixed attributes and the default XML namespace - the
   natural assumption is that an unprefixed attribute is qualified by
   the default namespace, but this is not true.  Rather, the unprefixed
   attribute belongs to a set of attributes that are defined
   specifically for the element to which it is applied.  Thus, in the
   following:

      <ns1:fox a="xxx" n:b="qqq"/>
      <ns1:bay a="yyy" n:b="rrr"/>
      <ns2:baz a="zzz" n:b="sss"/>

   The meaning of attribute "a" is defined separately for each
   attribute.  By comparison, the prefixed attribute "n:b" is defined
   independently of the element to which it is applied.
</quote>

1) It's true that unprefixed attributes inherit a default namespace. They
are technically in no namespace.

2) It's new to me that being prefixed or not carries *any* hint about
whether the attribute is "defined" (BTW: what is meant by 'defined' in this
context) specifically for an element or not. Can you cite the XML
recommendation or XML Infoset to back this up? Otherwise the text needs at
least to be clarified.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-ietf-xml-use@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:owner-ietf-xml-use@xxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Larry Masinter -
> LMM@xxxxxxx
> Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 5:25 AM
> To: ietf-xml-use@xxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: your comments on 4.6.1 Namespaces and Attributes
>
>
>
> I've proposed the following edits for 4.6.1 based on the discussion:
>
>
> Replace the paragraph ending "The meaning of ... [9]." with
>
>   the meaning of attribute "a" is defined separately for
>   each attribute. By comparison, the prefixed attribute
>   "n:b" is defined independently of the element to which
>   it is applied.
>
>   Note that an attribute used without a namespace prefix does NOT
>   adopt the default namespace; rather, it is interpreted according
>   to the semantics of the containing element. For more details,
>   see appendix A.2 of [9].
>
> Change "One practical way ..." to "One way ..."
>
> and delete the last paragraph of 4.6.1.
>