Significance of : xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"

Question

Dear Friends,

I want to know a bit more about 'xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml". Generally namespaces acts as the pointers to the component location, but I've always seen them directing resources within local directory structure. When 'xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"' is used than is a new connection is set with adobe server or is it just a convention? If an actual connection is set then the application should not get compiled without internet connection but in reality we can compile and run our application without internet connection as well !! Plz correct me if I am wring somewhere.

Please help me understanding its significance,

Thanks in advance.

Ashine.

Answer 1

It's just a convention. Try actually following the URI, the page doesn't exist!

Namespaces aren't the same as directory structures btw... The actionscript compiler cheats a lot to make it look that way.

Answer 2

It's just an identifier that with the use of flex-config.xml file (you can find it in your $SDK_HOME/frameworks folder) points to mxml-manifest.xml file which contains definitions of classes that you can use by "importing" specific namespace.

Answer 3

The URL is known as a namespace URL. Not all namespaces are directory structures. But, it takes quite a bit more work to create a namespace URL; whereas directory namespaces are almost automatic.

To create a namespace URL, you need to use a library project and add a manifest.xml file.

The documentation is really light on this topic. But, I demo about this in the last episode of The Flex Show's screencast series on creating custom components and in an episode of the Flextras Friday Lunch.