xml-dev - Re: need for defining standard APIs for xml storage

["KenNorth" <KenNorth@email.msn.com>]

Didier said:
> >  Now, let's say that these objects
> > are simply an API used to access elements stored in a permanent
information
> > set (i.e. a grove). In this case, we deal with object nodes and
therefore we
> > can use some patterns like the observer or other pattern used to
navigate in
> > the whole tree or we can provide a member to access any element.

Dongwook said:
> Otherwise, it seems inevitable to search the whole document space
> against the query "find the SPEECH having 'sword, love'"

In a nutshell, this is the classic debate about querying with objects. OOP
programmers often expect to do navigation over data -- use an index before
accessing a node or traverse a document node by node. The alternative,
illustrated by something like Dongwook's example, is to use a declarative
language, a query engine, and a non-procedural model for doing queries. You
use objects for the interface to the engine, not to traverse or operate
directly on the data.

If you have a static document structure, the former approach enables you to
write query classes that are optimized for your document structure. The
latter approach works well for ad hoc indexing and querying. The
language-agnostic approach also works for programming and scripting
languages that do not "understand" objects.

================== Ken North =============================
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Ken_North
See you at AD2000 (www.apllicationdevelopment.com)
XML DevCon 2000 (www.xmldevcon2000.com)
===========================================================




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