Re: XML storing and management

On Sep 27, 2:23 pm, Jan Hidders <hidd..._at_gmail.com> wrote:
> On 27 sep, 02:19, JOG <j..._at_cs.nott.ac.uk> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Ok, so why is it exactly cdt, despite the inherent flaws of a
> > hierarchical model such as XML, it has seen such widespread uptake?
>
> It's all hype, of course.

Well my sarcasm alarm is buzzing, so ifs its not all hype what is it? I was wondering more - what in the psyche of business managers has encouraged them to use XML. Its deceptive simplicity I imagine - the fact that anyone can knockup a bit of markup?

>
> Btw., what fundamental flaws?

If data is forced into a tree structure where no /single/ hierarchy for it naturally exists, query bias is generated. This encompasses just about every possible situation where data is shared in my experience. And query bias leads to databases that do 1 single task very well, but the other deluge of n-1 tasks awfully. Nevermind the fact that the XML is model navigational anyhow, so queries are already going to be very long compared to a declarative approach. I mean xpath has died on its arse right.

As a wise little man once told me XML leads to fear, fear leads to hate, and hate leads to the dark side. Unless I need something off the shelf and non-time critical (extremely non-time critical) to pass about data that is only every going to be accessed in one single way.

>
> -- Jan Hidders
Received on Fri Sep 28 2007 - 01:02:58 CEST