function getTypeDef($type, $ns) {
		$this->debug("in getTypeDef: type=$type, ns=$ns");
		if ((! $ns) && isset($this->namespaces['tns'])) {
			$ns = $this->namespaces['tns'];
			$this->debug("in getTypeDef: type namespace forced to $ns");
		}
		if (!isset($this->schemas[$ns])) {
			foreach ($this->schemas as $ns0 => $schema0) {
				if (strcasecmp($ns, $ns0) == 0) {
					$this->debug("in getTypeDef: replacing schema namespace $ns with $ns0");
					$ns = $ns0;
					break;
				}
			}
		}
		if (isset($this->schemas[$ns])) {
			$this->debug("in getTypeDef: have schema for namespace $ns");
			for ($i = 0; $i < count($this->schemas[$ns]); $i++) {
				$xs = &$this->schemas[$ns][$i];
				$t = $xs->getTypeDef($type);
				$this->appendDebug($xs->getDebug());
				$xs->clearDebug();
				if ($t) {
					$this->debug("in getTypeDef: found type $type");
					if (!isset($t['phpType'])) {
						// get info for type to tack onto the element
						$uqType = substr($t['type'], strrpos($t['type'], ':') + 1);
						$ns = substr($t['type'], 0, strrpos($t['type'], ':'));
						$etype = $this->getTypeDef($uqType, $ns);
						if ($etype) {
							$this->debug("found type for [element] $type:");
							$this->debug($this->varDump($etype));
							if (isset($etype['phpType'])) {
								$t['phpType'] = $etype['phpType'];
							}
							if (isset($etype['elements'])) {
								$t['elements'] = $etype['elements'];
							}
							if (isset($etype['attrs'])) {
								$t['attrs'] = $etype['attrs'];
							}
						} else {
							$this->debug("did not find type for [element] $type");
						}
					}
					return $t;
				}
			}
			$this->debug("in getTypeDef: did not find type $type");
		} else {
			$this->debug("in getTypeDef: do not have schema for namespace $ns");
		}
		return false;
	}