RE: [xml-dev] XML Database Decision Tree?

["Champion, Mike" <Mike.Champion@SoftwareAG-USA.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Soumitra Sengupta [mailto:soumitra@b-bop.com]
> Sent: Monday, October 22, 2001 2:12 PM
> To: Tim Bray
> Cc: Champion, Mike; xml-dev@lists.xml.org
> Subject: Re: [xml-dev] XML Database Decision Tree?
> 
> 
>
> Now putting on the "faraway look in my eyes" 

I forgot to answer the original question in my response: I used the bill of
materials example to illustrate  a SQL limitation that can make it hard to
do a straightforward mapping from XML onto SQL tables and retain the power
of XML/XPath.  I don't advocate Tamino as a general "bill of materials"
DBMS, just that an XML representation of a bill of materials lets you answer
a question with XPath that is difficult with SQL.  The "faraway look" was
standard nerd procedure, not symptoms of incipient marketing weaseldom.
Also, before Soumitra reminds me <grin>, I know that B-Bop, Monet, and other
sophisticated XML->RDBMS mappings don't have the recursive query problem
that a simple normalization could have, and I wasn't trying to promote
"proprietary" XML engines, simply the greater ease of use of XPath-related
languages over SQL-related languages for a certain class of interesting
practical problems. 

> a) a virtual db for data integration (customer model, patient 
> record are 2 areas I can think of)

Right!  IDC calls our sector the "XML and Virtual Database Management System
Market."  See the relevant report (and various other analyst reports that we
have licensed for distribution) at
http://www.softwareagusa.com/news/analyst_spk.htm  Most of these do address
the "what's this stuff good for in the real world" question.