    # File temp/element.rb, line 1195
                    def delete( attribute )
                            name = nil
                            prefix = nil
                            if attribute.kind_of? Attribute
                                    name = attribute.name
                                    prefix = attribute.prefix
                            else
                                    attribute =~ Namespace::NAMESPLIT
                                    prefix, name = $1, $2
                                    prefix = '' unless prefix
                            end
                            old = fetch(name, nil)
                            attr = nil
                            if old.kind_of? Hash # the supplied attribute is one of many
                                    attr = old.delete(prefix)
                                    if old.size == 1
                                            repl = nil
                                            old.each_value{|v| repl = v}
                                            store name, repl
                                    end
                            elsif old.nil?
                                    return @element
                            else # the supplied attribute is a top-level one
                                    attr = old
                                    res = super(name)
                            end
                            @element
                    end