Storing/using multiple SVG documents within the same file

From the August 12th specs:

"... an SVG document can be embedded inline as a fragment within a
parent document (an expectedly common situation within XML Web pages)
or it can stand by itself as a self-contained graphics file."

The following example is given:

             <?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
             <parent xmlns="http://someplace.org"
                    xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/SVG-19990812.dtd">
                <!-- parent stuff here -->
                <svg:svg width="5cm" height="8cm">
                   <svg:ellipse rx="200" ry="130" />
                </svg:svg>
                <!-- ... -->
             </parent>

I assume this means I can use multiple <svg> containers within a
parent XML-document called myDoc.xml:

             <?xml version="1.0" standalone="yes"?>
             <parent xmlns="http://someplace.org"
                    xmlns:svg="http://www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/SVG-19990812.dtd">
                <!-- parent stuff here -->
                <svg:svg id="foo" width="5cm" height="8cm">
                   <svg:ellipse rx="200" ry="130" />
                </svg:svg>
                <svg:svg id="bar" width="5cm" height="8cm">
                   <svg:ellipse rx="200" ry="130" />
                </svg:svg>
                <!-- ... -->
             </parent>

Now, to the interesting part. We have objects that needs be
represented by a symbol and for several reasons, we would like to
collect several symbols within the same physical file. We do this
successfully with our proprietary (SVG-like) format today, but would
like to be able to do this using straigth XML/SVG. Has somebody done
anything like this? We can not be the only one looking to use SVG in
this manner?

I guess the real question is: can I refer to these svg containers from
within the and from outside a file? If so, would this look something
like (in pseudo-XML)


<myObject id="obj1">
 <symbol>
  <xlink:role symbol>
  <xlink:href="http://www.some.where/myDoc.xml#foo">
 </symbol>
</myObject>

<myObject id="obj2">
 <symbol>
  <xlink:role symbol>
  <xlink:href="http://www.some.where/myDoc.xml#bar">
 </symbol>
</myObject>

<myObject id="obj3">
 <symbol>
  <xlink:role symbol>
  <xlink:href="http://www.some.where/myDoc.xml#bar">
 </symbol>
</myObject>


Or is this idea simply very un-SVG-like?

--jaa