Fastest read access?

[sjn78]

This is a 2 part question.

 

I have never used xml, so some of these questions may seem stupid to some of you.

 

Can xml be used in the following fashion,

 

Can it contain multiple datasets? I have only really had experience with Access, so what I'm getting at is that for each table you would create in Access, do you need to have seperate xml files.

 

And the second part of the question is,

 

What is the quickest method for reading data into an app. Reading a database, xml or text file.

 

The program I am writing has multiple tables in Access. I don't know whether I should keep them in access or use xml or a text file.

 

Any comments or suggestions would be a great help

 

Steve

[Derek Stone]

You should use SQL Server or MSDE (free), not Access, XML or a text file.

[sjn78]

That is not possible as this is an application to run on individual home computers. So access, xml or text files are the only possibility.

 

Not too sure about MSDE. You said MSDE is free, I gather it is available from Microsoft? Something I will look into.

[Derek Stone]

MSDE is the desktop version of SQL Server. It was built for applications like yours and is very easy to install alongside your software. You should look into using it over the other options you've outlined. If it turns out for some reason you can't or won't use MSDE I'd stick with Microsoft Access, since XML and text files just aren't scaleable.