Parse XML with namespace without prefix: NAMESPACE_ERR

I try to parse two XML documents: `<root/>` and `<root xmlns="hallo"/>`. The first case works fine, but the later case throws an exception (xalan/xerces used is the one shiped with OpenJDK 1.6/1.7). Some googling around suggests that this happens because of the usage of an XML namespace without a prefix. Parsing such a document feels rather normal than exotic to me so I wonder how to work around the problem. All the other people I found reporting the problem had the problem in the context of a SOAP application and tried to do some sophisticated stuff, but I could not find anyone with a simple setup such is mine. Some people suggested that upgrading xalan to v2.7 solves the problem. I don't know which version is shipped with OpenJDK, but I tried to explicitly putting v2.7.1 on the classpath and nothing changed. (How can I verify that this is the version actually used?). Any workarounds? Here is a test with my Problem: ``` public class DemoTest { @Test(dataProvider = "provide_xml") public void transform_doesNotThrowException(final String xml) throws Exception { final SAXParser saxParser = SAXParserFactory.newInstance().newSAXParser(); final SAXSource saxSource = new SAXSource(saxParser.getXMLReader(), new InputSource(new StringReader(xml))); final Transformer transformer = TransformerFactory.newInstance().newTransformer(); final Document document = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance().newDocumentBuilder().newDocument(); final DOMResult result = new DOMResult(document); transformer.transform(saxSource, result); } @DataProvider public Object[][] provide_xml() { return new Object[][]{ {"<root/>"}, // works {"<root xmlns=\"hello\"/>"} // broken }; } } ``` Here is the exception thrown: ``` ERROR: 'NAMESPACE_ERR: An attempt is made to create or change an object in a way which is incorrect with regard to namespaces.' javax.xml.transform.TransformerException: org.w3c.dom.DOMException: NAMESPACE_ERR: An attempt is made to create or change an object in a way which is incorrect with regard to namespaces. at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transform(TransformerImpl.java:720) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transform(TransformerImpl.java:317) at de.smotive.server.resource.ResourceManagerTest.testName(ResourceManagerTest.java:36) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:616) at org.testng.internal.MethodHelper.invokeMethod(MethodHelper.java:641) at org.testng.internal.Invoker.invokeMethod(Invoker.java:677) at org.testng.internal.Invoker.invokeTestMethod(Invoker.java:850) at org.testng.internal.Invoker.invokeTestMethods(Invoker.java:1154) at org.testng.internal.TestMethodWorker.invokeTestMethods(TestMethodWorker.java:137) at org.testng.internal.TestMethodWorker.run(TestMethodWorker.java:121) at org.testng.TestRunner.runWorkers(TestRunner.java:1108) at org.testng.TestRunner.privateRun(TestRunner.java:737) at org.testng.TestRunner.run(TestRunner.java:596) at org.testng.SuiteRunner.runTest(SuiteRunner.java:315) at org.testng.SuiteRunner.runSequentially(SuiteRunner.java:310) at org.testng.SuiteRunner.privateRun(SuiteRunner.java:272) at org.testng.SuiteRunner.run(SuiteRunner.java:221) at org.testng.SuiteRunnerWorker.runSuite(SuiteRunnerWorker.java:52) at org.testng.SuiteRunnerWorker.run(SuiteRunnerWorker.java:86) at org.testng.TestNG.runSuitesSequentially(TestNG.java:1027) at org.testng.TestNG.runSuitesLocally(TestNG.java:964) at org.testng.TestNG.run(TestNG.java:896) at org.testng.remote.RemoteTestNG.run(RemoteTestNG.java:89) at org.testng.remote.RemoteTestNG.main(RemoteTestNG.java:144) at org.testng.RemoteTestNGStarter.main(RemoteTestNGStarter.java:111) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke0(Native Method) at sun.reflect.NativeMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(NativeMethodAccessorImpl.java:57) at sun.reflect.DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.invoke(DelegatingMethodAccessorImpl.java:43) at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:616) at com.intellij.rt.execution.application.AppMain.main(AppMain.java:120) Caused by: org.w3c.dom.DOMException: NAMESPACE_ERR: An attempt is made to create or change an object in a way which is incorrect with regard to namespaces. at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.AttrNSImpl.setName(AttrNSImpl.java:108) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.AttrNSImpl.<init>(AttrNSImpl.java:77) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.CoreDocumentImpl.createAttributeNS(CoreDocumentImpl.java:2142) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.ElementImpl.setAttributeNS(ElementImpl.java:659) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.SAX2DOM.startElement(SAX2DOM.java:213) at com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.serializer.ToXMLSAXHandler.closeStartTag(ToXMLSAXHandler.java:208) at com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.serializer.ToSAXHandler.flushPending(ToSAXHandler.java:281) at com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.serializer.ToXMLSAXHandler.endElement(ToXMLSAXHandler.java:247) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.endElement(AbstractSAXParser.java:604) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(AbstractXMLDocumentParser.java:183) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.dtd.XMLDTDValidator.emptyElement(XMLDTDValidator.java:814) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:1320) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl$ContentDriver.scanRootElementHook(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:1293) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDriver.next(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:3080) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl$PrologDriver.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:899) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:625) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:488) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:819) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:748) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:123) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(AbstractSAXParser.java:1208) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(SAXParserImpl.java:525) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transformIdentity(TransformerImpl.java:640) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transform(TransformerImpl.java:711) ... 32 more --------- org.w3c.dom.DOMException: NAMESPACE_ERR: An attempt is made to create or change an object in a way which is incorrect with regard to namespaces. at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.AttrNSImpl.setName(AttrNSImpl.java:108) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.AttrNSImpl.<init>(AttrNSImpl.java:77) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.CoreDocumentImpl.createAttributeNS(CoreDocumentImpl.java:2142) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom.ElementImpl.setAttributeNS(ElementImpl.java:659) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.SAX2DOM.startElement(SAX2DOM.java:213) at com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.serializer.ToXMLSAXHandler.closeStartTag(ToXMLSAXHandler.java:208) at com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.serializer.ToSAXHandler.flushPending(ToSAXHandler.java:281) at com.sun.org.apache.xml.internal.serializer.ToXMLSAXHandler.endElement(ToXMLSAXHandler.java:247) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.endElement(AbstractSAXParser.java:604) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(AbstractXMLDocumentParser.java:183) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.dtd.XMLDTDValidator.emptyElement(XMLDTDValidator.java:814) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:1320) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl$ContentDriver.scanRootElementHook(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:1293) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDriver.next(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:3080) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl$PrologDriver.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:899) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentScannerImpl.next(XMLDocumentScannerImpl.java:625) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.java:488) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:819) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(XML11Configuration.java:748) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.XMLParser.parse(XMLParser.java:123) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(AbstractSAXParser.java:1208) at com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(SAXParserImpl.java:525) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transformIdentity(TransformerImpl.java:640) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transform(TransformerImpl.java:711) at com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax.TransformerImpl.transform(TransformerImpl.java:317) at de.smotive.server.resource.ResourceManagerTest.testName(ResourceManagerTest.java:36) ```