1) The explicit binding of the xml: prefix *should* be occurring only on the root element; once it's in scope, additional declarations shouldn't be being produced. You might want to post enough code that people can reproduce your problem for study.
2) Rejecting redundant declarations of the xml: prefix is Just Plain Wrong, if they're using the correct URI. I'd suggest lighting a large fire under Microsoft about that one. ______________________________________ "... Three things see no end: A loop with exit code done wrong, A semaphore untested, And the change that comes along. ..." -- "Threes" Rev 1.1 - Duane Elms / Leslie Fish (http://www.ovff.org/pegasus/songs/threes-rev-11.html)