Re: relative URIs and local lexical scopes: "Unique Base"?

On Sat, 24 Jun 2000, Larry Masinter wrote:

> Proposal:  Unique Base
> 
>    Relative URI references are allowed as namespace names. However,
> in lieu of any other XML mechanism for establishing a base URI for
> namespace names, the base to be used is to be constructed explicitly
> for the containing document instance as a completely unique URI base.
> The algorithm for uniqueness need not be part of the specification,
> but, for example, it could be based [sic] on the URL of the namespace
> processor and the date and time, identity of the document instance
> being processed, etc.

Let me understand this.  You propose that when I process a document
containing relative-URI namespace names, and when you process it,
the names are to be taken as different?  And further that when you
process it a second time, the names are to be taken as different
yet again?

I recognize this as alpha-conversion, but I cannot understand what
possible utility it has in the XML context.

-- 
John Cowan                                   cowan@ccil.org
	"You need a change: try Canada"  "You need a change: try China"
		--fortune cookies opened by a couple that I know