Partial Decomposition: Strategies for Using XML and SQL
Together
This approach, called "Partial Decomposition" is at the heart of an
application design paradigm that takes advantage of both the features of XML
and the power of relational databases. The presentation is based on real world
projects that are currently running on high-profile Internet sites (among them,
TheStreet.com, where I was Director of Content Management) but also my recently
completed work in writing a book on the use of XML and SQL together (due to be
published by Addison Wesley at the end of this year).
The emphasis of this presentation is on novel approaches to using
already existing and proven tools together, rather than on new, untested
protocols and methods. The essence of Partial Decomposition is to take whole
XML instances and store them in a database, while assembling an accompanying
schema to represent specific important information around these instances. The
discussion will revolve around the success and benefits of this approach,
especially in the world of content management, some problems with it (managing
database integrity) and solutions to those problems (including pushing XML
“housekeeping” functionality into the database layer. Along the way, I will
discuss strategies for using XML functionality being built into current
Database products (such as Oracle and SQL Server 2000).
1. Complete paper unavailable
This presenter's paper was not received in time to be included in
the proceedings.
Daniel AppelquistConsultant
Independent Consultant
London
England
United Kingdom
Email:
dan@torgo.com
Daniel Appelquist has over eleven years of experience in the
Internet services industry. In 1989, he founded an online fiction magazine,
Quanta, which published for 5 years. He has a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive
Science from Carnegie Mellon University. At Visix software, he helped to build
a technical documentation system for documenting software APIs. In 1995, he
co-founded and became lead technologist for E-Doc (http://www.edoc.com) a
company that provided web development services to the scientific, technical,
and medical publishing industry. Working with publishers such as John Wiley
& Sons and Macmillan, he was the architect of the SGML-based publishing
systems behind the Journal Cancer and Nature online.
At TheStreet.com (http://www.thestreet.com), he was the architect
of their XML based publishing system and developer of a global strategy for
deploying software technologies. Subsequently, he filled the dual role of CTO
for TheStreet.co.uk and Vice President of Global Technology for TheStreet.com.
At Digital Channel Partners, he built an R&D capability and led the
technology team for the UK. Dan has also worked at AOL's Digital City
(http://www.digitalcity.com), New Century Network and the Web consulting firm
Codefab (http://www.codefab.com). He has spoken at numerous trade shows and
events including Seybold and XTech, is active on the Advisory Committee of the
W3C (http://www.w3.org) and is on the Advisory Board of Kinecta Corporation
(http://www.kinecta.com). He has recently completed a book on building
applications with XML and SQL for Addison-Wesley, which is due to be published
this December.
