XML today has a variety of usages. So many in fact, that it's sometimes difficult for the uninitiated to discern where is the best place to use the technology. Well, let's make that landscape just a little more clouded by presenting yet another option: XML as a data storage model!

First, let's look at the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS).

An RDBMS has many useful features. It allows for very complex queries, which can span multiple tables, utilizing a standard language such as Structured Query Language (SQL). It can manage an incredibly large amount of data and deliver information within seconds. For performance, and to ensure data integrity, RBDMS offers indexes and keys, both primary and foreign. It is scalable and secure.

But all of this comes with its disadvantages as well.

An RDBMS requires the overhead of a server process as well as the services of a database administrator. To retrieve data, as mentioned above, one must also learn the query language used to interface with the database.

Not so using XML as the data storage mechanism!

XML is now being used by many institutions to store their data in files. For an application that does not have a large amount of data to handle, XML has its advantages:

There is no server overhead with an XML file. The file can be modified with a regular text editor, eliminating the need for a complex database tool to enact changes. Also, XML files can easily be backed up, uploaded, downloaded, or shared between co-workers and friends. Instead of using table joins, entity relationships are represented visually by the nesting of nodes (e.g., if a person has an address, the address structure would exist physically inside of the person node or structure).

Next time, we look at how your JSP implementation could use this alternative!

The second most popular CIO article in 2000 was part of a comprehensive series written by Tim Landgrave. It provides insight on the use of XML and its potential.

XML is touching about every aspect of IT these days, from Web-site functionality to making legacy software work with modern technologies. If you feel out of the loop on XML, this article will clue you in.