Re: [xml-dev] XML Schema as a data modeling tool

[Michael Kay <mike@saxonica.com>]

On 1 Oct 2013, at 10:54, Stephen Cameron wrote:

> To me it does come down to a question of cost vs flexibility. 
> 
> The hierarchical approach has proven a suitable basis for the web ...

> Hierarchical databases are very performant, ...

But that's all about designing data structures for a specific implementation technology. Data modelling is about understanding the information structure independently of the technology used to store or transmit it. It's about answering questions like "can an employee also be a shareholder" (I hesitate to call it ontology...), it's not about designing performant databases.

Michael Kay
Saxonica