Exploring XML for data exchange in the context of an undergraduate database curriculum

Abstract

The relationship between XML and database management systems has become an important topic for coverage at the undergraduate level. This paper presents an approach to teaching the use of XML through the study of data exchange. After a brief review of XML, the paper provides a tutorial on the different features that are provided in major relational database products for the import and export of XML, providing a discussion of how these features can be used as implementation exercises for students. In addition to addressing the use of XML for data exchange in relational systems, the paper also provides an overview of several teaching tools that are also used in the study of XML for object-oriented data and also for the exchange of object-oriented and object-relational data.