RE: [xml-dev] Shredding XML

["Michael Kay" <mike@saxonica.com>]

> My particular interest is related to some work I'm currently 
> engaged in. The basics are we receive XML messages from an 
> external trading partner and process those messages, 
> enriching and routing to a number of internal subscriber 
> applications. One of these applications is MI and the deal 
> here is that they want the data to been put into a relational 
> database so that they can create a number of interfaces 
> 'files' which are sent to still more applications.
> 
> Whilst I would like to consider a pure XML database or even 
> use some of the XML features that are increasingly prevalent 
> in mainstream DB vendor products, clearly putting data into a 
> 'staging' database is one thing, but the capabilities and 
> competances of the applications and application programmers 
> who want to retrieve it is a key factor. So, for the 
> immediate term I might be stuck (if thats fair - probably 
> not) with relational.

If the XML is just a CSV file, then by all means shove it into a table in a
relational database.

If it's anything more complicated, don't even think about shredding it by
hand: it will be a nightmare. Especially if you have doubts about the
intellectual capabilities of the programmers who are going to have to deal
with it.

Regards,

Michael Kay
http://www.saxonica.com/
http://twitter.com/michaelhkay