XML or SQL Server?

[goatse]

I'm creating a Web-based case/document management system for a law firm, I was wondering whether or not XML is suited for the job. I figure accessing XML files would be about as fast as a flat file (meaning a turtle stuck in concrete), but I haven't seen any info on that. Is an extensive XML database able to handle approximately 25 concurrent users per CPU (P3 1GHz + 512MB RAM)?

Oh and the language is ASP.NET.

[goatse]

?

[Cander]

mm..Id use SQL as even though XML is efficient, it can get pretty slow especially when the file gets fairly big.. It is just not a very scalable option.

[Cander]

Id say it is getting too big for multiple users at about couple hundred KB. Splitting up the file stil lgives you the problem of slow down from opening and closing back and forth between files.

[gijsj]

The title of your post "XML or SQL Server" doesn't make much sense, and especially "OR".

When users frequentally read/write data in your App you should use a Database. (SQL Server for example).

If you want to view or manipulate that data in XML format it's still possible, SQL Server can spit out XML.

And .NET even does everything transparentally for you because when you retrieve a DataSet actually XML is used so you can approach the same data in both ways.

BTW. ASP.NET is not a language but a technology.

[Cander]

XML is better used as a seperate string or file for each user to access individually. Like perhaps when auser connects, get the needed data from SQL into a string of XML within something liek a Session variable. Then just use that variable while they are connected.