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There's no right answer to this: it depends how you want to use the data.
Remember that an XML document is not a database. If the document is 1Gb big,
then opening it (parsing it) every time you want to find out a single phone
number is going to be very expensive. On the other hand, if it's 1Mb and the
number of transactions is 1/hr rather than 1000/sec, then it may well be
viable.
Generally I would implement hierarchic ("contains") relationships like the
one you describe by using the XML hierarchy, unless this makes the document
impossibly big.
If you decide to store the menus separately, either because two pubs can
have the same menu, or for physical design reasons, there are many ways you
can represent the relationships. If each menu is in a separate file then
it's probably most flexible to use a URI. However, where objects have
natural identifiers like part numbers or personnel numbers, then I prefer
just to use that identifier, and leave the query logic to work out how to
find the XML document for a given personnel number or part number. There are
some people though who insist that the only respectable way to identify
objects is by means of URIs.
Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Leevi Graham [mailto:leevi@theleviathanproject.com]
> Sent: 16 April 2005 03:41
> To: xml-dev@lists.xml.org
> Subject: [xml-dev] xml schema best practices question.. one
> big xml or lots of little components?
>
> hi guys this is my first post to this dev-list... hopefully
> it wont be
> the last...
>
> i have a aquestion that has been bugging me for quite some time..
>
> i am attempting to create a business directory with xml as
> data storage.
>
> i wish to create business elements that contain the obvious
> information.. address, contact location etc...
>
> however the business type may change from retail to professional to
> hosplitality....mainly hospitality like pubs and restaraunts..
>
> so finally here is my question:
>
> *lets say i have a business element that is a restaraunt and that
> restauraunt obviously has a menu.. should i include the menu
> as a child
> element of the business or should i create a seperate xml file called
> menus. Also if I do create a menus.xml file that contains the menus
> seperatley how will i be able to tell which menu belongs to which
> restaraunt..*
>
> things to consider my businesses.xml file may eventually contain many
> businesses with many menus....
>
> hopefully someone can help
> cheers
>
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