def to_nns(namespace, name)
      if name.nil? and not namespace.nil?
        name = namespace
        namespace = ""
      end
      return namespace, name
    end
def to_nns(namespace, name)
      if name.nil? and not namespace.nil?
        name = namespace
        namespace = ""
      end
      return namespace, name
    end
Convenient method to check and handle a pair of parameters namespace/name where, in some
 cases, only one is specified (i.e. the name only).

 Use at the beginning of a method in order to have correctly defined parameters:
   def foo(namespace, name = nil)
     namespace, name = to_nns namespace, name
   end