XML files
-
I can store some kind of datatbase in XML files.The question is here: In what condition it is better to use XML and when should I use Access/SQLServer database? Mazy "So,so you think you can tell, Heaven from Hell, Blue skies from pain,... How I wish,how I wish you were here."
Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd-1975 -
I can store some kind of datatbase in XML files.The question is here: In what condition it is better to use XML and when should I use Access/SQLServer database? Mazy "So,so you think you can tell, Heaven from Hell, Blue skies from pain,... How I wish,how I wish you were here."
Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd-1975It is roughly the equivalent to ask if you should use a comma separated file or a database. Let us compare the two file types: The XML file would have the possibility of bearing the meta information itself, but it is up to the designer to give the tags some meaningfull names. If you use a dtd for the xml file, you could put the meta information here, but again, it is up to the designer to do so. At the risk og getting flamed: IMHO XML files are glorified comma separated files, and the serialization process compared to (almost every) dbms is slooow... Databases on the other hand, are containers designed for their respective dbms'es to give a balanced performance of searching, inserting, deleting and serializing and they are built for handling VERY large amounts of data. Internally they keep some basic indexes on the position of data, and in exchange for resources like disk space, you can ask for extra indexes to improve search speeds. Conclusion: If you are in need of serializing SMALL data portions, like 1-2 MB, you could use an xml file. But if the data portion will grow virtually unlimited or you are doing a lot of insertions/deletes that causes serialization, then you should use a database (even Access is able to compete here). Jan "It could have been worse, it could have been ME!"
-
It is roughly the equivalent to ask if you should use a comma separated file or a database. Let us compare the two file types: The XML file would have the possibility of bearing the meta information itself, but it is up to the designer to give the tags some meaningfull names. If you use a dtd for the xml file, you could put the meta information here, but again, it is up to the designer to do so. At the risk og getting flamed: IMHO XML files are glorified comma separated files, and the serialization process compared to (almost every) dbms is slooow... Databases on the other hand, are containers designed for their respective dbms'es to give a balanced performance of searching, inserting, deleting and serializing and they are built for handling VERY large amounts of data. Internally they keep some basic indexes on the position of data, and in exchange for resources like disk space, you can ask for extra indexes to improve search speeds. Conclusion: If you are in need of serializing SMALL data portions, like 1-2 MB, you could use an xml file. But if the data portion will grow virtually unlimited or you are doing a lot of insertions/deletes that causes serialization, then you should use a database (even Access is able to compete here). Jan "It could have been worse, it could have been ME!"