XML Data Management: Native XML and XML-Enabled Database Systems

1.6. A Very Simple Way to Design XML

One great advantage of XML information modeling over traditional data modeling is that it serves as a much more intuitive analog of reality. Because of this, a very simple method for designing XML documents produces surprisingly good results. In fact, it will produce better results than many, if not most, “industry standard” XML schemas. Forget that you will be using a computer to manage information—in fact, forget almost everything you know about computers. Instead, imagine that you will be managing your information manually, and design simple forms accordingly. First, make the preprinted parts of the forms into tags; second, make the parts you fill in into data elements; and third, change things like units ...