XML as database for CD Gallery???

[SStory]

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of them.
I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It will be
a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may be
added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a good
solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure 5000-10000
images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the XDocument
class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[Mohammed Ali Akbani]

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of them.
I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It will be
a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may be
added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a good
solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure 5000-10000
images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the XDocument
class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[Mohammed Ali Akbani]

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of them.
I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It will be
a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may be
added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a good
solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure 5000-10000
images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the XDocument
class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[SStory]

Thanks for the input. I would need to do keyword queries and other gallery
queries, so sounds like I may need to use a jet database for that.

Thanks
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:O%***************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of them. I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It will be a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may be added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a good solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure 5000-10000 images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the XDocument class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[SStory]

Thanks for the input. I would need to do keyword queries and other gallery
queries, so sounds like I may need to use a jet database for that.

Thanks
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:O%***************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of them. I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It will be a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may be added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a good solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure 5000-10000 images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the XDocument class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[Mohammed Ali Akbani]

Keyword and description queries can be easily done in XML files. you can
use SAX to parse and get results.

SStory wrote:

Thanks for the input. I would need to do keyword queries and other gallery
queries, so sounds like I may need to use a jet database for that.

Thanks
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:O%***************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of
them.
I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It
will be
a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may
be
added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a
good
solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure
5000-10000
images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the
XDocument
class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[Mohammed Ali Akbani]

Keyword and description queries can be easily done in XML files. you can
use SAX to parse and get results.

SStory wrote:

Thanks for the input. I would need to do keyword queries and other gallery
queries, so sounds like I may need to use a jet database for that.

Thanks
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:O%***************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of
them.
I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It
will be
a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may
be
added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a
good
solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure
5000-10000
images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the
XDocument
class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[SStory]

What is sax? Is it free?
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

Keyword and description queries can be easily done in XML files. you can
use SAX to parse and get results.

SStory wrote:

Thanks for the input. I would need to do keyword queries and other gallery queries, so sounds like I may need to use a jet database for that.

Thanks
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:O%***************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of

them.

I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It

will be

a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may

be

added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a

good

solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure

5000-10000

images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the

XDocument

class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[SStory]

What is sax? Is it free?
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:%2****************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

Keyword and description queries can be easily done in XML files. you can
use SAX to parse and get results.

SStory wrote:

Thanks for the input. I would need to do keyword queries and other gallery queries, so sounds like I may need to use a jet database for that.

Thanks
"Mohammed Ali Akbani" <Te********@inbox.com.pk> wrote in message
news:O%***************@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...

Using XML is a good idea if you will not be doing complicated queres and
updating the data very often. Keep in mind,how fast the data might grow.
Using XSL you can also provide a standard interface through browser
without having to code a client or server pages

Mohammed Ali Akbani
http://akbani.20m.com

SStory wrote:

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of

them.

I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It

will be

a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may

be

added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a

good

solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure

5000-10000

images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the

XDocument

class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[Chris Lovett]

I have something like that at http://www.lovettpictures.com/gallery1.htm.
You can see the XML at http://www.lovettpictures.com/gallery1/gallery1.xml.
here I'm using about 250 bytes of XML per image, so if you had 10000 images
that would be 2.5 megabytes. That's getting on the high side for quick
response from XPath queries, the more linear the XPath query expression the
worse it will perform (since XML Documents don't have any indexes). So if
you can partition that at all to sets of images so the index remains under a
megabyte, then you'll be able to count on reasonable performance.

I assume you are considing an IE browser based zero-install solution, so the
user can just pop in the CD and go, in this case you could use the
scriptable MSXML component and you might be able to do some things in-memory
in the root HTML Frame to partition the XML and index critical stuff using
JScript associative arrays, then use that from then on. This will add a bit
to the startup time, but improve the overall user experience from then on.

If you actually plan to install a .NET application from the CD, then you
have more options, DataSet being a good one, since it does have indexes.
"SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> wrote in message
news:eQ**************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of them. I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It will be a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may be
added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a good solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure 5000-10000 images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the XDocument
class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane

[SStory]

Thanks Chris.

It is a windows forms app.
The thing is, if I use a dataset, won't I need to create a database anyhow?
And if not won't populating the XML file in a way the dataset will
understand be difficult?

I would like to have folders, being

CompanyName\Type

so that each category is in it's own folder.

But would need one XML file so I could search by title/author and keywords.

I am thinking all around the answer probably but yet to pull together the
best approach in my mind.

Thanks,

Shane

"Chris Lovett" <clovett-at-microsoft-dot-com> wrote in message
news:10*************@corp.supernews.com...

I have something like that at http://www.lovettpictures.com/gallery1.htm.
You can see the XML at http://www.lovettpictures.com/gallery1/gallery1.xml. here I'm using about 250 bytes of XML per image, so if you had 10000 images that would be 2.5 megabytes. That's getting on the high side for quick
response from XPath queries, the more linear the XPath query expression the worse it will perform (since XML Documents don't have any indexes). So if
you can partition that at all to sets of images so the index remains under a megabyte, then you'll be able to count on reasonable performance.

I assume you are considing an IE browser based zero-install solution, so the user can just pop in the CD and go, in this case you could use the
scriptable MSXML component and you might be able to do some things in-memory in the root HTML Frame to partition the XML and index critical stuff using
JScript associative arrays, then use that from then on. This will add a bit to the startup time, but improve the overall user experience from then on.

If you actually plan to install a .NET application from the CD, then you
have more options, DataSet being a good one, since it does have indexes.
"SStory" <Th*******@TAKEOUTTHISSPAMBUSTERsofthome.net> wrote in message
news:eQ**************@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...

I am creating a CD that will have various product images. I need more
information on these JPG's so I will need some sort of data on each of them.

I will also need to be able to find these images by keywords, title,
subject, etc....sort of a gallery.

I was considering trying to use XML to avoid using any database. It will be

a fixed set of data, except that from time to time additional items may

be added--via internet download.

What is the group opinion on doing something like this? Would XML be a

good

solution?
Too difficult and not worth the trouble? Too verbose? I figure

5000-10000

images max--but no bigger than 300x 300pix.

I am fairly new to XML, but from what I read it appears that the XDocument class might be the one to go with for something like this. I have also
considered that maybe it should somehow be in XML but then read into a
dataset to be manipulated sort of like a database.

All opinions encouraged...

If the general agreement is that XML would be a good solution, please
provide some of the best resources for doing what I need to do...

Thanks,

Shane