That is NOT what I was talking about.

I was talking about searching patterns in semi-structured data and you
are talking about using XML as vehicle for interaction among multiple IT
systems.

Regards,
Paulo Gaspar

Lester Caine wrote:

>I'm having to jump through the hoops of UK eGov schemas. Some of them
>are just so contorted that you don't stand a chance of providing the
>data that they require, but you can at least provide a subset. THAT is
>an acceptable solution, and it is up to the target system to handle the
>holes.
>
>I specifically asked the question of the eGov developers. How are we
>supposed to manage data with the mess that is building up in the
>schemas, and the answer was. Use whatever you want to store the data,
>THAT is not the job of XML, only handling queries BETWEEN dissimilar
>systems. So I can ask for the address record for NINumber xx123x and I
>will be supplied with a record in some format defined by the address
>schema. Movements of bulk data are not planned to use XML - it's too heavy.
>
>So XML just provides a different version of SQL query, and defines how
>it wants the results - with several options. Working things that way
>should not be too difficult, but we still have the full relational model
>of the data within the database, and hopefully the right indexes to
>quickly find the information requested. If that is and XML engine I
>would not expect it to perform very well against a nice Firebird/Vulcan
>core when accessing the same sorts of data.
>
>
>