TOR in XML Method

Lalit A Patel

The Extended Markup Language (XML) methodology recommended or implemented for storing or transmitting records forgets or ignores the numerous advantages of the Table of Records (TOR) methodology, which was evolved to store and display information with a repeating structure.

The XML technology is excellent while dealing with a few records of each type; it is, however, an over-kill while dealing with plenty of records of each type. For example, when there are 10 thousand records and each record has 10 variables, the TOR methodology is far superior to the XML technology; the XML technology will consume about 2.4 million characters, whereas the TOR methodology will consume only about 0.6 million characters.

In order to take advantage of the TOR methodology within the framework of the XML methodology, the user should first introduce and define a new parameter as a set of the several parameters that constitute a record and then state the records in terms of the newly-introduced parameter. The number of characters consumed in an XML document can be further reduced by using a shorter name for the newly-introduced parameter.

The following is an example of a document employing the XML methodology.

<document>

<record>

<parameter1>Record1Value1</parameter1>

…………..

<paramter10>Record1Value10</parameter10>

</record>

…………..

<record>

<parameter1>Record10000Value1</parameter1>

…………..

<paramter10>Record10000Value10</parameter10>

</record>

</document>

The above document can be translated as follows to take advantage of the TOR methodology within the framework of the XML methodology.

<document>

<definition>

rec={parameter1,…,parameter10}

</definition>

<rec>Record1Value1,…,Record1Value10</rec>

…………..

<rec>Record10000Value1,…,Record10000Value10</rec>

</document>