I have been closely tracking the reaction to the DataDirect XQuery Survey that was published in eWEEK yesterday, and we are getting some interesting feedback. For example, one respondant writes:
"If SQL has been around for years why do we need XQuery? The vast majority of corporate data is in SQL databases. XML just represents another layer of overhead and complexity and is by and large unnecessary."
I agree with the statement that the vast majority of data exists in SQL databases. However, with enterprises moving towards Service Orientated Architectures, the need to express this data in an inter-changeable, portable and self-expressing format is paramount.
XML data is now regarded as a first-class citizen among today's applications, and while SQL and relational data stores remain the cornerstone of the application stack. the data integration challenge remains. XQuery stands alone as the well-rounded, flexible and standards-based solution to evolve today's applications to leverage relational and XML data stores effectively.