Can any one explain why xml is used instead of a database?

[tallberg]

Can any one explain why xml is used instead of a database?

 

not sure where to put this question so appologies if i put it in the wrong place.

 

 

[abazoskib]

Do you know what a database is, and do you know what XML is? I suggest you look those up first.

 

edit: i forgot to mention, if you know what they mean, then the answer should be obvious. databases can store much more information while keeping it just as easy to access.

[Daniel0]

A database is just a place where you store data. An XML file qualifies for that just fine. The word you're looking for is likely RDBMS (relational database management system).

[tallberg]

Thanks for your replys.

 

Im still not clear.

 

What I know is you can store data and query it contents in a database and an xml why use one and not the other?

 

 

[JonnoTheDev]

There are many methods for storing data i.e text files, databases, spreadsheets, xml, full text indexes, etc

The method used for storing data depends on the type of application and the functionality required. If you look into XML, its number one feature is that it is platform independent i.e. If you have many applications that are written on many different platforms or even if you are making your data open to the outside world the best way to share your data is via XML.

You will see many websites that share data such as twitter, facebook, etc. When you make a request to one of these systems the data is usually returned in XML. Your application can then parse the XML and display the information on screen.

 

I think your assumption that XML is used instead of a database is incorrect. The system may still run from a relational database, however it may have an API available where you can query the system and the results are returned in XML format.

[tallberg]

Thats great, thanks alot.