XPath Navigation Holding Back the SQL/XML Database Industry

This article was published on Ken North’s SQL Summit Site, Jan 18, 2008. It identifies the advantages that are gained from navigationless XML access and processing for XML databases. XML was designed for markup with its hierarchical relationships that exceed standard database hierarchical relationships and principles. Standard database processing with its more limited standard hierarchical relationships and rigid hierarchical principles can be processed without manual user navigation allowing it to support more complex full multi-leg hierarchical processing. This article explains these additional capabilities.

http://www.sqlsummit.com/Articles/Navigation.HTM.