Summary
XML files do not provide all the features included in a powerful database such as Access, SQL Server, or Oracle. They don’t include tools for indexing, grouping, summarizing, and joining records. XML files don’t provide transactions, user-based privileges, and the capability to update a single record without rewriting the entire XML file.
For many applications, however, these features are unnecessary. For small single-user applications or applications that load and modify small documents, XML files can be useful database tools. They store data in a text-based format that is easy to read and understand. Loading and saving XML files using a DataSet object’s ReadXml and WriteXml methods is practically trivial. After you have loaded the ...
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