NEWBIE - Can XML do that?

[mgw4jc]

I know very, very little about XML. Is it possible to imitate a simple database? I have a client who wants a web page that can display three photos with a description for each. Is it possible to use XML to do this? And then I could teach my client how to use XML (maybe via MS Word) just enought so she can change those three photos and descriptions as wanted.

I know I can do this with a database and ASP, ColdFusion, PHP, etc., but if I can do it with XML, it won't matter to me what is installed on the web server.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[chiph]

XML makes a very poor database.

It especially doesn't handle binary data very well.

I would use a real database.

Chip H.


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[tgreer]

XML, technically, doesn't "DO" anything. It's a file format, a way of expressing data. So, something will have to read and write XML, and make decisions based upon what it sees or doesn't see.

That said, yes, you can imitate a database with XML.

I would recommend that you

1) Design a good XML document

2) Learn enough to write an XSLT, to transform that XML into HTML for web display. Users would browse to the XSLT, which in turn would process the XML and render HTML, on-the-fly. They would navigate to XLST, and see HTML.

3) Write a web-based admin utility for your client to change the underlying data. This way YOU maintain control of the XML and don't run into issues where the site "doesn't work" because your client munged things up in MS-Word.



Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting

 

[mgw4jc]

Thomas,

Thanks for the info. I've now learned enough to understand what you talked about in steps 1 and 2. My question now is this. For the web-based admin utility, can XSLT change the underlying data (XML file)? If not, what can be used to actually edit the various nodes in my "XML file database"?

Thanks again,

Matt

 

[tgreer]

Step 3 would be accomplished with a programming language. For web development, you can use something like PHP, ASP, or ASP.NET. All of these languages live on the web server, and can interact with data on the server, including XML.



Thomas D. Greer

http://www.tgreer.com

Providing PostScript & PDF
Training, Development & Consulting