This course covers the use of XML in a database environment in five ways. You will:
- Publish XML to a relational database
- Access an XML object from a relational database and attach a stylesheet
- Create a "logical view" of data using middle-tier scripting
- Program against XML using script in the browser
- Interchange database information using the canonical model
If you manage your document information as persistent XML objects, you will probably want to make that information available to your users. A great way of doing this is by "publishing" a "document" that is actually a relational database containing a collection of publishable articles. This can be done as part of a three-tier Web application.
Once the data is stored in a relational database, it can easily be accessed using middle-tier scripting. The scripting can also attach an Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) stylesheet, that will convert the XML document to HTML for delivery to a Web browser.
Another use of XML is to create a "logical view" of relational and other data sources into a single stream. This is sent to the browser, where...
...as an object in the memory of a server or browser, an XML document is available to the programmer by using the Document Object Model (DOM) interfaces, properties, and methods.
Finally, XML, along with XML data schemas, can be used to transfer relational database data, along with the schemas that represent the data, from one database to another.
Hands-on exercises include the import, export, and interchange of relational database information. We will also cover the importance of schemas, and look at a tool that can be used to create and maintain XML database schemas. |
