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[school-discuss] Re: XML in Education
I think you are absolutley correct, Michael. In fact, *storing* data in XML
format is worse than putting into a flat file: in a flat file, you can simply
append a record to the bottom, but with XML, it might need a closing tag, so
the whole file would need to be rewritten. That's a problem for large files (I
know, I tried it).
What I hope most people are advocating is to keep the data in nicely designed
databases, flatfiles, or whatever is appropriate, BUT provide an interface
that makes it look like the data is stored as XML. In other words, every
product should provide an XML import and export.
We have a large database of questions (multiple choice, matching, fill-in-the
blank, survey, etc.) from mostly computer science and computer skills/concepts
that I will make available this summer. I'll make my import/export fit the
emerging EduXML standard, but my data probably won't have to change.
-Doug
Michael Hall <olc@ninti.com> said:
> On Mon, 8 Apr 2002, Bruno Vernier wrote:
>
> > On Mon, Apr 08, 2002 at 11:23:59AM -0600, Les Richardson wrote:
> >
> > > > c) Use a XML Format (EduML, EML) for all lesson plans
> to allow
> > > > easy transformation of the data to any other format.
> > >
> >
> > - Storing Data that is potentially going to be interchanged is
> best done in
> > some sort of XML (technically speaking)
> >
>
> I've been looking a little closer at XML lately (in the context of
> PHP/Python/Perl), as there are certainly a lot of commentators
> around
> telling
> us that "this is the way things are going". I think I have a
> reasonable
> grasp of the technical side of things, but ... I must be missing
> something
> ... I cannot see how storing data in what seems to effectively be a
> kind
> of flat file is better or preferable to using a database. Maybe I
> can't
> see the wood for the trees? I know that the data in an XML file can
> be
> translated into pretty well any presentation format, but so can data
> in a
> database.
>
> So, what insight or angle on XML am I missing?
>
> Mick Hall
>
>
>
>
--
Douglas S. Blank, Assistant Professor
dblank@brynmawr.edu, (610)526-6501
Bryn Mawr College, Computer Science Program
101 North Merion Ave, Park Science Building
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010 dangermouse.brynmawr.edu