Java projects that move to Apache have a similar issue. They often convert from their pre-existing package structure to an org.apache.foo structure. Not sure if that is mandatory or not, but they seem to like to converge on an Apache namespace.
But I think XML namespaces are different, since they are embedded in the documents as well, not only the code. As such there are additional interoperability implications. The apps that read and write settings in the namespace form an interoperable space. If we changed the namespace in our documents, we'd break interoperability. So I'd recommend an approach like this: 1) For new settings, adopt an Apache name space 2) For old settings, to the extent that we remain compatible with their legacy behavior, we should preserve the same legacy namespace 3) If we eve break legacy behavior then we should also change the namespace. In other words, things that are not compatible should not use the same namespace. 4) If there are settings that we find are critical for multiple applications, like OpenOffice, LibreOffice, Symphony, RedOffice, etc., then we should promote them into a future revision of the ODF standard, into an ODF namespace. -Rob On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 12:28 AM, Dennis E. Hamilton <[email protected]> wrote: > It just occurred to me that a place for some sort of common agreement, and > publication of what they mean, are the OpenOffice.org Namespaces. I assume > these "belong" to OpenOffice.org, but governance of namespaces is odd > business. These are also something to coordinate with the LibreOffice folk > and others who use these namespaces for any purpose. Most of all, they need > to be defined. > > (This occurred to me reading about macro-recording in LibreOffice Calc, and > it flashed before my eyes that this is an implementation-dependent feature > introduced by an (undocument as far as I know) namespace binding: > > Here is the bunch that tend to be spit out in the beginning of ODF files used > within packages as part of fixed boilerplate in the root element: > > xmlns:ooo="http://openoffice.org/2004/office"; > > xmlns:oooc="http://openoffice.org/2004/calc"; > > xmlns:ooow="http://openoffice.org/2004/writer"; > > xmlns:rpt="http://openoffice.org/2005/report"; > > xmlns:tableooo="http://openoffice.org/2009/table"; > > The URIs all generate 404s. > > There are significant uses as in establishment of > > <config:config-item-set config:name="ooo:view-settings"> > > <config:config-item-set config:name="ooo:configuration-settings"> > > where the attribute values are QNames and they introduce a pot-full of > unqualified item names that are specific to the QNames, above. > > And then there are MIME media types: > > application/vnd.sun.xml.ui.configuration > > for a subdocument "Configurations2/" in ODF packages produced by > *OpenOffice.org producers. > > There are other application/vnd.sun.... MIME media types in use as well. > > - Dennis > > > > >
