What are the limitations of XML?

[Sarfaraj Khan]

Hello Guys,

I am learning XML from one month. I need you help to get solution over my query. I want know about the limitations of XML language. I know it's advantages. But it also important to be aware about limitations of XML. I have referred lots of book to get this limitations, but nothing as helpful. I wonder if you are able to provide some limitations of XML. Your any help over this issue would be greatly appreciable.

[Praetor]

A XML has many limitations related to it's datatypes, see following:

• It's datatype can't be used as a sql_variant instance subtype.
• XML doesn't have support for casting to text.
• XML datatype Can't be used within partitioned Views.
• XML datatype Can't be used in an index as a key column .

[Katty]

Exporting a table can be done using XML. But this format has limitations quickly scale (internet). It is not self-documenting (encoding text, separators, order and column name?). It requires external documentation rarely automated between partners.Compared to the export CSV a table, the XML reply Column Name for each cell (once for an attribute, twice for an item). The file size generated is greater than that of a CSV file. In this situations bandwidth is expensive.

[kelfro]

XML has become the reference format for the exchange of data, Including Metadata. Applying of the XML application libraries dedicated processor (XML) add additional development time, at least for trained teams. For small tasks, a parser line by line is sometimes easier. But if the data is destined to become more complex, exchange more broadly, it is best to choose XML from the start. In the language of access to an XML document, the XPath document node is abbreviated with the slash /As the root of a tree filesystem Unix.

[Zecho]

The data type of XML can not be created in a materialized view. The materialized view doesn't be based over an method of xml datatype. This is the most important limitation of XML. But this can be solved by casting it to an schema collection of XML. This is completely different from the xml type column within the parent table. The another limitation of XML is that, it's data type can't be sorted or compared. You can't apply the 'group by' statement over XML.