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RE: XML Database Decision Tree?

• From: Jonathan Robie <jonathan.robie@s...>
• To: Michael Rys <mrys@m...>, Soumitra Sengupta <soumitra@b...>,"Champion, Mike" <Mike.Champion@S...>
• Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 16:07:55 -0400

> > Native XML databases; a bad idea for data?
> > http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/library/x-xdnat.html?n-x-10181

I have two basic gripes with this article.

1. It does not accurately reflect the capabilities of at least some current 
native XML databases. For instance, at least some native XML databases can 
retrieve nodes without retrieving the document, perform aggregate functions 
across document boundaries, or restrict documents in a collection to one 
particular schema. Note that Kevin mentions three rather different systems, 
calls them all native XML databases, and does not discuss what each of them 
can or can not do. I am not sure what set of criteria caused him to name 
Tamino, TextML, and XYZFind, but not certain other vendors, but putting 
treating these three systems as though they were functionally equivalent is 
misleading.

2. There is no mention of XQuery (http://www.w3.org/tr/xquery). Since 
XQuery addresses most (perhaps all?) of his issues with data manipulation, 
aggregation, and retrieval, and Working Drafts of XQuery have been 
available since February 15th, 2001, I would have expected an article 
written in October, 2001 to mention it. There is a native XML query 
language that addresses Kevin's concerns, and at least some XML database 
vendors intend to support it.

Jonathan

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