sqlite or xml

[tinkerbarbet at gmail.com]

On Dec 7, 12:34 am, Kelie <kf9... at gmail.com> wrote:
> Thanks Chris, Tim and Yu-Xi. I'll follow your advice and use database.

Hi Kelie

If you're happy going with sqlite then stick with it.  If on the other
hand you were considering XML because you're more comfortable with
that (e.g. you find XML easy to work with and you're more familiar
with XPath/XQuery than SQL) then you could use XML if you wanted.  The
choice is not between XML and databases, it's between XML and
relational. There are -- shock-horror! -- full-featured XML databases
too (e.g. Berkeley DB XML, which is lightweight, fast, embeddable and
open source like sqlite, with indexing, transactions etc. if you need
that).  XML is very widely used in publishing and not only as a data
transfer format which happens to be human-readable.  The main reason
for going for a database over a file in your case is I'd guess to
support searching, since performance wouldn't be an issue these days
with a few thousand records.

Developers tend to have strong feelings in favour of relational (=
"tabular" storage) over xml database (= "hierarchical" storage) but
this will change.  If you are asking what would work for your
relatively simple use-case, the answer is both, since the storage
model isn't that important for a contacts address list.  What would
work best for you in this case is whichever you would prefer...

TimvN