Databases Reference
In-Depth Information
specify the structure, content, and semantics of an XML document. As of Oracle Da‐
tabase 12
c
, XML DB is a mandatory part of the Oracle database installation. XML DB
and the XMLType abstract datatype are what combine to make the Oracle database
XML-aware. XML processing performance in Oracle is improved by XML storage op‐
timization, reduced memory overhead, reduced parsing, optimized node searching,
XML schema optimization, and load balancing through cached XML schema.
The XML DB Repository enables organizing of XML data via files and folders (direc‐
tories, containers) in a hierarchy and provides a model of traversing paths and URLs
when accessing this data. Oracle Database 12
c
extended access from the XML DB
Repository into the Oracle Database File System (DBFS) files and folders. The Repos‐
itory secures access and manipulation control is through the use of Access Control Lists
(ACLs). Repository documents can be accessed via HTTP(S), WebDAV and FTP, and
SQL via Oracle Net Services including JDBC. XML messaging is supported thorough
Web Services and Oracle Streams Advanced Queuing (AQ).
The XMLType datatype indicates to the Oracle database that the data is XML data, so
that specific XML data operations, such as those initiated by XQuery or are XPath-based,
can be performed. The default storage type in the Database for XMLType is binary XML
storage (since Oracle Database 11
g
Release 2) and is stored using large objects (LOBs).
XMLIndex is used to index data stored in binary XML.
XQuery is the W3C language used in querying and updating XML data. XPath is a subset
of the XQuery language. Oracle Database 12
c
added the XQuery update capability as
well as XQuery Full Text and the XQuery API for Java (XQJ).
XML DB also provides the SQL functions that are defined by the SQL/XML standard.
These functions provide the capability to generate or publish XML data from the result
of a SQL query and also query and access XML data via SQL. They use the XQuery or
XPath functions to search XML documents and access a subset of an XML document.
Programmatic access to XML DB is available using Java, PL/SQL, and C. Available APIs
for XMLType include the Document Object Model (DOM), XML Parser, and the XSLT
Processor APIs. Web-based applications can be built using servlets and Java Server Pages
(JSPs), and using the Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL) and XML Server Pages
(XSPs).
Oracle Spatial and Graph Option
The Spatial and Graph Option (formerly Oracle Spatial Option) for the Oracle Database
Enterprise Edition provides the following:
Spatial Data Extended Support
Spatial functions and GeoRaster types useful for defining topology data maps and
building advanced geographic information system (GIS) and location-based serv‐
ices applications
