Stylus Studio XML Editor

Table of contents

Appendices

6.2 Namespace Defaulting

Namespace Defaulting

chg The scope of a [default namespace] declaration extends from the beginning of the start-tag in which it appears to the end of the corresponding end-tag, excluding the scope of any inner default namespace declarations. In the case of an empty tag, the scope is the tag itself.

chg A default namespace declaration applies to all unprefixed element names within its scope. Default namespace declarations do not apply directly to attribute names; the interpretation of unprefixed attributes is determined by the element on which they appear.

add If there is a default namespace declaration in scope, the [expanded name] corresponding to an unprefixed element name has the IRI of the [default namespace] as its [namespace name] . If there is no default namespace declaration in scope, the namespace name has no value. The namespace name for an unprefixed attribute name always has no value. In all cases, the [local name] is [local part] (which is of course the same as the unprefixed name itself). 

<?xml version="1.1"?>
<!-- elements are in the HTML namespace, in this case by default -->
<html xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>
  <head><title>Frobnostication</title></head>
  <body><p>Moved to 
    <a href='http://frob.example.com'>here</a>.</p></body>
</html>
<?xml version="1.1"?>
<!-- unprefixed element types are from "books" -->
<book xmlns='urn:loc.gov:books'
      xmlns:isbn='urn:ISBN:0-395-36341-6'>
    <title>Cheaper by the Dozen</title>
    <isbn:number>1568491379</isbn:number>
</book>

A larger example of namespace scoping: 

<?xml version="1.1"?>
<!-- initially, the default namespace is "books" -->
<book xmlns='urn:loc.gov:books'
      xmlns:isbn='urn:ISBN:0-395-36341-6'>
    <title>Cheaper by the Dozen</title>
    <isbn:number>1568491379</isbn:number>
    <notes>
      <!-- make HTML the default namespace for some commentary -->
      <p xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>
          This is a <i>funny</i> book!
      </p>
    </notes>
</book>

The attribute value in a default namespace declaration MAY be empty. This has the same effect, within the scope of the declaration, of there being no default namespace. 

<?xml version='1.1'?>
<Beers>
  <!-- the default namespace inside tables is that of HTML -->
  <table xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>
   <th><td>Name</td><td>Origin</td><td>Description</td></th>
   <tr> 
     <!-- no default namespace inside table cells -->
     <td><brandName xmlns="">Huntsman</brandName></td>
     <td><origin xmlns="">Bath, UK</origin></td>
     <td>
       <details xmlns=""><class>Bitter</class><hop>Fuggles</hop>
         <pro>Wonderful hop, light alcohol, good summer beer</pro>
         <con>Fragile; excessive variance pub to pub</con>
         </details>
        </td>
      </tr>
    </table>
  </Beers>