Within a very short amount of time XML has become an essential part of almost every developer's arsenal of tools. It has affected every area of software. One of the fields where the impact of XML is still being worked out is in the world of databases and data management. Will XML and native XML databases replace traditional relational databases? How can XML be used as a tool to make relational databases even stronger? This book is intended to address these questions. It provides a discusssion of the various XML data management approaches employed in a range of products and applications. The book is based on a series of presentations at last year's OOPSLA conference. Topics covered range from using XML with Oracle9i or SQL Server to embedded XML databases to Tamino. Individual chapters are written by experts in those fields. In all cases the authors use concrete, practical examples, explore alternative approaches, and examine their strengths and weaknesses. There is no other book with the breadth of coverage offered here.

Akmal B. Chaudhri works for IBM developerWorks, where he is also Zone Editor for Special Projects. A recognized authority on objects and databases, he has been a regular presenter at many international conferences, including OOPSLA and Object World. In addition, he has edited several books on these topics. Awais Rashid is a Lecturer in the Computing Department of Lancaster University in the U.K. where he leads research into the application of new technologies, such as XML and aspect-oriented programming, and database systems. He has actively published on these topics and has organized a number of relevant international events. Roberto Zicari is a full Professor for Databases and Information Systems at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. He is an internationally recognized expert in Object Technology. He has consulted and lectured in Europe, North America, and Japan. 0201844524AB01312003