Sams Teach Yourself ASP.NET in 21 Days (2nd Edition)

Should I use relational database designs?

Absolutely! It may be awkward at first, but nearly all of today's database applications are built for relational databases. You'll need a lot of practice to design databases effectively, but you'll never learn if you don't jump in!

Today you only designed a single-table database (which makes it hard to see relational designs), but in a few days you'll start adding more tables and creating complex relationships. Trust us, it only gets more fun from here!

What type of data is XML?

XML itself is a specification that allows you to create a well-defined structure for your data. That said, you can store any type of data with XML.

The beauty part of XML is threefold: 1) It's text-based, which makes it easy for users to read and modify; 2) it's a standard; and 3) it can be transferred easily over the Web. Thus, you can store the database you created as XML and anyone can access it easily. Try allowing others to access your SQL Server 2000 database you'll see that it's a much more complicated task.

(Of course, ASP.NET allows others to access your databases easily, but imagine what your life would be like without ASP.NET. You'll examine XML and ASP.NET in Day 11, "Using XML in ASP.NET.")

Are there any drawbacks to using a database with ASP.NET?

The main drawback of using databases over the Web is that it takes a long time (relatively speaking) to connect to them. ASP.NET is better than traditional ASP in this regard, but there are still performance hits.

Generally, databases can be a good way to go if you have large amounts of data that you may need indefinitely. The performance issues can be relatively minor if your system configuration is set up well, and databases provide benefits, such as easy manipulation of data, that set them apart from other methods of data storage.