[Pipet Devel] Resend: workflow diagram data model and databases

[J.W. Bizzaro]

(continuation)

Brad Chapman wrote:
> 
> Okay, I'll take an early stand on this issue and go straight for point
> number 4, specifically using XDBM as our XML database (side note: did we
> come to any conclusions about whether we can safely use this?).

We can use it, but we can't package it with Loci.  I think we should keep in
mind that we may swap it for something more suitable (GPL'd) later on.

> My arguments for this:
> 
> 1. I think it will be *a lot* of work to write a database, or map xml into
> a relational database like MySQL/PostgreSQL.

But I'm not so sure that we even need most of the functionality of a
general-purpose database.

> 2. I have been looking at XDBM and I really think it does a lot of what we
> need (these points are taken from the xdbm documentation)
>         a. Provides xdbm2xml and xml2xdbm converters.
>         b. Stores the XML in a pre-parsed format so we don't need to go
> through entire XML files to find stuff.
>         c. You can load only parts of the XML file at a time.
>         d. Allows you to stored linked lists (the xml:links, I assume)
>         e. Will support DOM complient interfaces.

That all looks very good.

> The disadvantages are that XDBM is brand new and probably still has a lot
> of bugs to work out. In addition, the "FreeDOM" interfaces which will
> supply the DOM complient interface is still under design/development, and
> will require a set of python bindings once they are available.

The advantages still outweigh the disadvantages.


Cheers.
Jeff
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