RE: Application Design

[Mike.Champion@SoftwareAG-USA.com]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: fpgomez@rockwellcollins.com [mailto:fpgomez@rockwellcollins.com]
> Sent: Thursday, August 09, 2001 2:06 PM
> To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
> Subject: Application Design
> 

> 
> 1) What would be an ideal database to use to store the 
> information, keeping in mind that I am going to use XML to retrieve and
and 
> present this data. (I am leaning towards Oracle)

By all means read Ron Bourret's detailed analysis of the issues involved in
storing XML in a database in his paper at
http://www.rpbourret.com/xml/XMLAndDatabases.htm  and his description of
actual products at http://www.rpbourret.com/xml/XMLDatabaseProds.htm  before
you proceed.  There are lots of alternatives to Oracle!

> 
> 2) Am I stuck with building all my screens with raw XML/XSLT  
> or are there tools that will help me built the front end screens easily.

Well, it depends on what you mean by "easily."  Nothing as easy to use and
as integrated as, say, Visual Basic is for developing simple Windows GUIs,
but there are many alternatives to raw XSLT coding. There is a freebie XSL
editor on IBM alphaWorks, Excelon has a product called Stylus, Whitehill has
a product called xslComposer, Tibco/Extensibility just announced XML
Transform, and there are more .


> 
> 3) Does anybody see any potential problems with this approach?

It's pretty bleeding edge ... whatever you do today could be obsolete
tomorrow as the technology landscape changes, vendors come in and go out of
business, etc. But an awful lot of people are working off the same basic
approach, and the more you stick to the "standards", the less you'll suffer
if you need to change vendors.

> 
> 4) What would be the preferred supporting platform to use: Java,
> HTML/DHTML, ASP, JavaScript.

Why not ask about something non-controversial, like maybe about politics or
religion? <grin>  Seriously, all are viable options, depending on your
platform, skills, etc., and you'll just have to figure out what works best
for you.