Hello,
I am looking to achieve two things:
a) To find a free, whether open-source or not, XML database that is simple to use and
b) To access an MS Access DB and convert it to the XML database. If this can be done automatically, so much the better :) Otherwise, what would be the easier way to do this?
Thanks!
Since you are already working with MS Access, my recommendation is MS SQL Express---but this may not be simple enough for your needs. SQL Express supports the FOR XML syntax to emit XML and it should support the native XML type.
You can use the built in export option in access 2007 to export a database into xml. It will even export child tables into the same file. It will also produce the Schema of data for you. (XSD). There is also the option to produce an Presentation file (XSL) but I not really used that feature.
So when export the database you get both the xml and the schema produced for you (xml + xsd file).
So the ability to export and convert an access database to xml is built in and no additional tools or 3rd party software is required.
Access 2003 also has export xml ability
It goes without saying, that ms-access can also consume (import) xml.
Not sure if it is "easy", but IBM's DB2 Express-C (for Community edition) is free and can work with native XML:
"The lowest priced hybrid XML and relational data server designed to meet the needs of small and medium businesses.."
I frankly never used it, and very few people seem to care about it, but it seems to be an interesting product.