Kingsley Idehen's Blog Data Space

XML Features of Oracle 8i and 9i

XML and relational databases are both technologies for structuring, cataloguing and processing data. If data has a regular and atomic structure, it is more appropriate and efficient to use a database than XML.

Databases store data, XML is not a storage mechanism, it is a storage format (amongst its many capabilities).

In this case, why would you wish to go to the trouble of converting such data from a database into XML and vice versa? Reasons include:

• XML is easy to convert further into different formats as required: e.g HTML, PDF, and plain text. This gives a flexibility to web applications where data can be searched for and accessed from the database, and then formatted for output in different formats using e.g XSL.

XML seperates data from formatting (and programming logic). XSL is now broken down into two parts; XSLT

It seems kind of unfair, doesn't it? First, developers have to understand and accommodate users' habits. Then we have to deliver solutions that add value while surreptitiously encouraging users to adopt better habits. Finally, we have to bring to the surface, examine, and modify our own deeply-ingrained habits. That's a painful and psychologically hard thing to do. But happy users are not the only reward. The habit of breaking habits will serve you well. [Full story at InfoWorld.com] [via Jon's Radio]

It seems kind of unfair, doesn't it? First, developers have to understand and accommodate users' habits. Then we have to deliver solutions that add value while surreptitiously encouraging users to adopt better habits. Finally, we have to bring to the surface, examine, and modify our own deeply-ingrained habits. That's a painful and psychologically hard thing to do. But happy users are not the only reward. The habit of breaking habits will serve you well. [Full story at InfoWorld.com] [via Jon's Radio]

Don Box is proposing moving to XHTML for RSS. [via The Scobleizer Weblog]

Very interesting, especially as a top Microsoft Architect acknowledges XUL (this isn't a XUL article).

Boston -- The clock is ticking on Yukon.

Microsoft has promised the first real beta of its next-generation database for the first half of the year. Depending on how first half is defined, that gives the company just over a month. Company sources said the push is on internally to deliver a beta drop by June 1, just in time for the company's TechEd conference in Dallas.

Hack attacks on banks increase ZDNet May 12 2003 10:30AM ET [via Moreover - ZDNet]

Looks like data access security issues are beginning to resonate somewhat (we are still a few miles away from the implications re. native vs. open data access standards).