ANN: XML and Databases article

[Len Bullard]

Ingo Macherius wrote:
> 
> The other problem is you can store XML, but
> have to explicitely model relations (parent, sibling, child, ... and
> all other axis you need) by foreign keys. The number of "metatables"
> with structural information quickly outnumbers the useful data. Again
> we tried, benched and canceled.

Did you investigate OLAP techniques (cubes, coordinates) as a means to
model the trees?  

I agree that flat table modeling via metatables 
does get difficult but I did not see it outnumbering the useful 
data.  It is awkward.  OTOH, it is one way to get the system 
running on cheap desktop systems.  My guess is, it doesn't 
scale well and with the advent or rich datatypes and hyperlinks 
as data objects, it isn't all that useful except when the 
embedded renderer is the browser object.

len


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