XML flat file vs. relational database backend

Posted by donpal on Stack Overflow See other posts from Stack Overflow or by donpal
Published on 2010-04-03T19:08:55Z Indexed on 2010/04/03 19:13 UTC
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database

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database-design

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data

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mysql

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Xml

Most projects now need some form of a database. When someone says database, I usually think relational databases, but I still hear about flat file XML databases.

What parameters do you take into consideration when deciding between a "real" database and a flat-file XML database. When should one be used over the other, and under what circumstances should I never consider using a flat file (or vice versa a relational) database?

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