• To: "'Peter Hunsberger'" <peter.hunsberger@g...>
• Subject: RE: Indexing solution for native XML database
• From: "Michael Kay" <mike@s...>
• Date: Tue, 29 Nov 2005 20:52:28 -0000
• Cc: 'Timo Hildén' <castaway@d...>,<xml-dev@l...>
• In-reply-to: <cc159a4a0511291240i5b1d344ft7a779e0de235499e@m...>
• Thread-index: AcX1JRXnksCI872HSG+jsCMQ1cF17wAAHXsA

> Sure, a relational database might not be the best fit for a given
> hierarchical structure. But for other cases the fit may be as good or
> better than any other database....

I was under the impression the OP was trying to design a relational database
to hold arbitrary XML documents, not to hold a specific document. In other
words, to implement a hierarchical database on top of a relational database.
I don't think that's a good way of implementing a hierarchical database. I
apologize that I don't have time to write a detailed rationale for that
view, but it's based on a lot of experience, including expensive failures of
projects that tried to do exactly that.

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/

• Follow-Ups:
  • Re: Indexing solution for native XML database
    • From: "Ken North" <kennorth@s...>
  • Re: Indexing solution for native XML database
    • From: Peter Hunsberger <peter.hunsberger@g...>

• References:
  • Re: Indexing solution for native XML database
    • From: Peter Hunsberger <peter.hunsberger@g...>

• Prev by Date: RE: Common Word Processing Format
• Next by Date: Re: Common Word Processing Format
• Previous by thread: Re: Indexing solution for native XML database
• Next by thread: Re: Indexing solution for native XML database
• Index(es):
  • Date
  • Thread