XML, the AHA hasn't come to me yet

[Willy Van den Driessche]

This may sound like a stupid question but can somebody tell me what makes
XML so great ? To me it's a hierarchical data format. OK, it's a standard
and that opens some doors but I am clearly still missing something.

Why would I store data in an XML file when I already have access to splendid
blazingly fast relational databases ?
Why would I use XML since it only allows me to store a tree, not an
arbitrary structure ?
Why would I use an XML soap envelope when it doesn't protect me from a
server method being no longer available ?
Why would I send XML over a wire ? It's a text format, right ? Doesn't it
waste enormous bandwidth ?

These questions are just rhetorical and not meant to be answered as such.
But it is very clear I'm missing something.

Could somebody fill me in ?
--
Van den Driessche Willy
For a work in progress :
http://users.skynet.be/wvdd2/index.html

[MarkN]

You've hit on some key points. I think XML is very misused. It is not a
silver bullet, just another tool. The best use for it is transfering data
between different systems(This can be with SOAP over HTTP, but doesn't have
to be). Most questions in this discussion group seem to stem from the misuse
of XML.

>Why would I store data in an XML file when I already have access to >splendid
>blazingly fast relational databases ?
XML can be useful in the place of standard .ini/.properties files for limited
persistance with the use of a RDBMS. I haven't come across a use for an
XML database yet. I have for an Object Database, though. This is why I
separate persistance and business logic. I may want to get xml and objects
from the same "data".

>Why would I use XML since it only allows me to store a tree, not an
>arbitrary structure ?
Then don't use it if it is not right for the job. Most things seem to have
some structure to them.

>Why would I use an XML soap envelope when it doesn't protect me from a
>server method being no longer available ?
True. It is useful to a point but then falls down and another means should
be used. Sometimes you can be too disconnected. I think MS is pushing this
too much in .Net and ignoring other important issues in a distributed/enterprise
environment. How well can SOAP over HTTP work in a transactional environment?
SOAP(XML) over a messaging system (i.e MQ Series) would be much better.

>Why would I send XML over a wire ? It's a text format, right ? Doesn't it
>waste enormous bandwidth ?
True. It must be used wisely. I venture to say that (dis)connected recordsets
waste more.

>These questions are just rhetorical and not meant to be answered as such.
>But it is very clear I'm missing something.
Thanks for saying them. I thought I was pretty much alone feeling this way
in this newsgroup.

Mark

[Willy Van den Driessche]

Mark, thanks for the reply,
I too was thinking I was alone.
--
Van den Driessche Willy
For a work in progress :
http://users.skynet.be/wvdd2/index.html
"MarkN" <mnuttall@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:3c022594$1@147.208.176.211...
>
> You've hit on some key points. I think XML is very misused. It is not a
> silver bullet, just another tool. The best use for it is transfering data
> between different systems(This can be with SOAP over HTTP, but doesn't
have
> to be). Most questions in this discussion group seem to stem from the
misuse
> of XML.
>
> >Why would I store data in an XML file when I already have access to
>splendid
> >blazingly fast relational databases ?
> XML can be useful in the place of standard .ini/.properties files for
limited
> persistance with the use of a RDBMS. I haven't come across a use for an
> XML database yet. I have for an Object Database, though. This is why I
> separate persistance and business logic. I may want to get xml and
objects
> from the same "data".
>
> >Why would I use XML since it only allows me to store a tree, not an
> >arbitrary structure ?
> Then don't use it if it is not right for the job. Most things seem to
have
> some structure to them.
>
> >Why would I use an XML soap envelope when it doesn't protect me from a
> >server method being no longer available ?
> True. It is useful to a point but then falls down and another means
should
> be used. Sometimes you can be too disconnected. I think MS is pushing
this
> too much in .Net and ignoring other important issues in a
distributed/enterprise
> environment. How well can SOAP over HTTP work in a transactional
environment?
> SOAP(XML) over a messaging system (i.e MQ Series) would be much better.
>
> >Why would I send XML over a wire ? It's a text format, right ? Doesn't it
> >waste enormous bandwidth ?
> True. It must be used wisely. I venture to say that (dis)connected
recordsets
> waste more.
>
> >These questions are just rhetorical and not meant to be answered as such.
> >But it is very clear I'm missing something.
> Thanks for saying them. I thought I was pretty much alone feeling this
way
> in this newsgroup.
>
> Mark