get namaspaces for element

[Tommy Frost]

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out the xpath-expression for getting all relevant namespaces of an element, but I don't wangle it.

When I have this document:

<A xmlns1>
<B xmlns2></B>
<C xmlns3>
<D>xxx</D>
<E></E>
</C>
</A>

....I need an expression which gives me the namespaces for <D>, that is xmlns1 xmlns3

or even better, an expression which has the result
<D xmlns1 xmlns2>xxx</D><E></E>

BTW I'm not using xpath within xsl...I just need the plain expression.

Thanks.

 

[Martin Honnen]

I'm trying to figure out the xpath-expression for getting all relevant namespaces of an element, but I don't wangle it.

When I have this document:

<A xmlns1>
<B xmlns2></B>
<C xmlns3>
<D>xxx</D>
<E></E>
</C>
</A>

What is that above? It is not even well-formed.

...I need an expression which gives me the namespaces for <D>, that is xmlns1 xmlns3

or even better, an expression which has the result
<D xmlns1 xmlns2>xxx</D><E></E>

I can't follow what you want as the initial example is not even well-formed, if you want to know the namespace URI of a node you can use the XPath 1.0 function namespace-uri.

 

[Tommy Frost]

What is that above? It is not even well-formed.

Sorry...I mixed it up a little.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<A xmlns1>
<B xmlns2/>
<C xmlns3>
<D>xxx</D>
</C>

if you want to know the namespace URI of a node you can use the XPath 1.0 function namespace-uri.

No, I want all namespaces that effect a certain element, e.g. <D> -> xmlns1, xmlns3

 

[Martin Honnen]

Martin Honnen wrote:

Sorry...I mixed it up a little.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<A xmlns1>
<B xmlns2/>
<C xmlns3>
<D>xxx</D>
</C>
</A>

That is not well-formed. Are you sure you understand XML namespaces at all? http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml-names/

 

[Tommy Frost]

That is not well-formed. Are you sure you understand XML namespaces at all? http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml-names/

As far as I know, wellformed means:
- xml-declaration
- at least one element
- one root-element

....but the question remains the same

 

[Richard Tobin]

No, I want all namespaces that effect a certain element, e.g. <D> -> xmlns1, xmlns3

What form do you want them in? The namespace axis gives you the namespace nodes that apply to an element (e.g. //D/namespace::*), but how you do something with those nodes depends on what you're using XPath in.

-- Richard

 

[Patrick TJ McPhee]

% >> <?xml version="1.0"?>
% >> <A xmlns1>
% >> <B xmlns2/>
% >> <C xmlns3>
% >> <D>xxx</D>
% >> </C>
% >> </A>
% >
% > That is not well-formed. Are you sure you understand XML namespaces at % > all? % > http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml-names/ % % As far as I know, wellformed means:
% - xml-declaration

[not required]

% - at least one element
% - one root-element

- every attribute has a value, in quotes

Let's guess at what you mean

<A xmlns='data:text/plain,my-namespace-1'>
<B xmlns='data:text/plain,my-namespace-2'>
<C xmlns='data:text/plain,my-namespace-3'>
<D>xxx</D>
</C>
</B>
</A>

and you want to know what name spaces apply to D. The answer is that only 'data:text/plain,my namespace 3' does. In XSLT, you might get at it like this

<xsl:template match='*[local-name = "D"'>
<xsl:text>Namespace for D is </xsl:text>
<xsl:value-of select='concat(namespace-uri, ".")'/>
</xsl:template>

If your goal is to force this to appear as an xmlns in the declaration of D, I'm not sure it's possible to do that consistently.

 

[Tommy Frost]

That is not well-formed. Are you sure you understand XML namespaces at

all?

I was told by mail that people might think, that I consider xmlns1 etc. as "real" namespaces -> No - they're just short forms of real ones. Thought this was clear.

 

[Tommy Frost]

What form do you want them in? The namespace axis gives you the

namespace nodes that apply to an element (e.g. //D/namespace::*), but how you do something with those nodes depends on what you're using XPath in.

I'm using a java-prog which awaits an xpath-expression and a xml-doc. The matching nodes are returned. "//D/namespace::*" doesn't work, the result is empty...btw "//D" only works, when there are no namespaces that apply to D...strange

 

[Tommy Frost]

ah... I found out that "//D/namespace::*" actually works - but only as long as there are namespaces with prefixes like "xmlns:xm="http://www.someurl.org"". As soon as default namespaces (xmlns="http://www.someurl.org") appear, it doesn't work...

 

[Richard Tobin]

"//D/namespace::*" doesn't work, the result is empty...btw "//D" only works, when there are no namespaces that apply to D...strange

//D will only work when D is in no namespace, that is, when there is no default namespace. If D is in a namespace because there is a default namespace (i.e. xmlns="something"), you will have to bind a prefix to refer to it in the XPath expression. You will need something like //foo and //foo/namespace::*, but I don't know how you bind a prefix in the system you're using.

-- Richard

 

[Patrick TJ McPhee]

% > That is not well-formed. Are you sure you understand XML namespaces at % > all?

% I was told by mail that people might think, that I consider xmlns1 etc. as % "real" namespaces -> No - they're just short forms of real ones. Thought % this was clear.

That was clear. It's not at all clear what you mean, though, so how about a short but complete example showing what you want as input and what you want as output?