xml-dev - RE: XML and LDAP: Common APIs?

[johns@syscore.com (John F. Schlesinger)]

Jeff wrote:
"I was just thinking how similar the XML and LDAP data models are."

The idea of using XML standards for any tree structure is a great one. It
makes no sense to teach a programmer two or more tree access languages.
Using XPath for LDAP databases is a great idea. We could even replace
Segment Search Arguments for accessing IMS databases! The UNIX and Windows
file systems could be accessed using XPath which would make scripts much
easier to write (or, indeed, read). XPath could be added to tree controls
for user interface coding. Neat.

Yours,
John F Schlesinger
SysCore Solutions
212 619 5200 x 219
917 886 5895 Mobile

-----Original Message-----
From: jeff@homer.socialchange.net.au
[mailto:jeff@homer.socialchange.net.au]On Behalf Of Jeff Turner
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2000 11:59 PM
To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
Subject: XML and LDAP: Common APIs?


Hi,

I was just thinking how similar the XML and LDAP data models are. LDAP
gives you a tree, where each node can contain data -and- can act as a
namespace for other nodes. This corresponds pretty closely to XML (or
maybe SML).

Has anyone explored the possibility of crossover APIs for accessing all
these 'tree-like' data structures in a standardised way? I'd like to be
able to traverse an LDAP directory with DOM or SAX. How about querying
LDAP with an XPath expression, or a stylesheet? Going the other way, how
about accessing an XML document with an API like Sun's JNDI? I see that
Sun have got a DSML "service provider", but wouldn't it be possible to
generalise this to access any well-formed XML?

Since LDAP is usually layered on a database, doesn't LDAP provide a
simple kind of XML Database? Has anyone tried to map XML directly into
LDAP like this?

--Jeff