[xquery-talk] Re: The State of Native XML databases

[Daniela Florescu]

Gentlepeople,

That's a very interesting thread.


>> 2) The lack of thought leaders
>> Where are the Tim Bray's, the Adam Bosworth's, and Erik Meijer's,  
>> the Sam Ramji's for the native XML database space?


Can we please stop using this empty, ill-defined, and totally  
irrelevant (aka native)
word to define this community ? Even if we would have a "leader" for  
the "native" XML database
it would only be a fake guru. That might be the reason why nobody  
takes the job.
It's a sign of sanity, not a problem.

Because there IS no such thing as a native XML database.

Saying that there is a "native" XML storage is as absurd as saying  
that there is a
"native" relational storage, or that there is a "native" file system  
storage on an
operating system.

There are gazzilions ways to map XML data model instances into bits  
on disk,
in the same way there are gazzilions way to map the relational data  
model instances
into bits on disk. Neither one is more "native" then the other.

Who cares how the systems store XML !?? Users should not care.

The only things XML users should care are :
(1) full -- and correct -- support of the XML data models (Infoset, XDM)
(2) full -- and correct-- support of the XML processing languages
(e.g. XPath, XQuery, XSLT, Xupdates)
(3) the performance of their systems, in each user specific scenario

and eventually
(4) the existence of an appropriate, non convoluted, APIs to invoke  
those XML languages

>
> 4) The lack of a clubhouse
> I want a place to meet up with all of you! JavaOne, JavaPolis,  
> JAOO, and QCon are my place to meet up, share ideas, and exchange  
> solutions in the Java space. I would love to have XMLOne once a year!

That's an interesting idea. We have the XML conference, but I guess  
that's not
exactly what you had in mind, right ?

Best regards,
Dana