XML Unleashed

Declaring Namespaces

Namespaces are declared in XML documents using a namespace declaration, which takes the following form:

xmlns:Prefix="NameSpace"

The xmlns keyword is what alerts an XML processor that a namespace is being declared. The Prefix part of the namespace declaration allows you to set a prefix that will serve as a shorthand reference for the namespace throughout the scope of the element in which the namespace is declared. The Prefix of a namespace is optional and ultimately depends on whether you want to use qualified or unqualified element and attribute names throughout a document. A qualified name includes the Prefix portion of the namespace declaration and consists of two parts: the prefix and the local portion of the name. ...