[jdom-interest] JDOM as a Database API?

[Gerardo Horvilleur]

Brett McLaughlin wrote:
> I'm very much against this, for several reasons.
> 
> First, the core principle of JDOM is that it is an in-memory structure,
> and is pure Java objects until it is outputted, and inputted. In other
> words, a document doesn't have to be well-formed, valid, etc., except
> when inpit and output occurs. Not tying the in-memory representation to
> XML, databases, or anything else keeps us portable, light, and udeful.
> 
> Second, and building on that, you add a tremendous amount of overhead to
> every call. Writing to a database, actually checking the database
> schema, and all the problems you incur with this behavior make JDOM a
> heavyweight API in this case.
> 
> Third, you abandon all portability. I should be able to build a JDOM
> Document from any input form, manipulate it in the same fashion, and
> output it to any supported output form. This ability to move from one
> input (SAX, DOM, JDOM, RDBMS) to the /same/ internal representation, to
> any other output format (SAX, DOM, JDOM, RDBMS) and chaining the calls
> is what, IMO, makes JDOM really cool.
> 
> While certainly you can do what you are wanting (it is open-source!),
> I'm suggesting that you not, and rethink your decision; adding input and
> output from a database is something I'd like to see, but adding
> automatic committal, etc., isn't something I would endorse or want to
> encourage users to do (i.e. by putting it in jdom-contrib). Think it
> over, and I think you'll see that input and output are better ideas.

I can't say I agree with you.

But on the other hand, I do like JDOM's ease of use and I believe you might be
right in being so reluctant to accept any extensions which could compromise its
simplicity.

As it turns out, although I really like the idea of using JDOM as a database API
I don't need this right away. So I will think carefully about it, and if I still
think it is a good idea I will write a design document explaining why I need it
and how I intend to implement it. Then, before I do anything else about it, I'll send
this document to you (and anybody else you tell me to) so I can get your feedback.

Is this OK with you?

-- 

Gerardo Horvilleur
mago at mail.internet.com.mx