[Gdal-dev] GML to database

[Mateusz Łoskot]

Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS) wrote:
> 
>> Hi list,
>>
>> there seems to be a growing need for tools which can read GML 3
>> application schemas and the corresponding GML files, and roll that
>> into a database (so create the tables, and the relationships between
>> the tables, fill them etc.).
>>
>> Does ogr2ogr see a role for itself in this domain?
> 
> 
> Bart,
> 
> Ogr2ogr takes a "simple features" view of the world.  I would like to see
> OGR's GML support, including support for application schemas, improve.  But
> realistically there is quite a leap beyond that to understanding complex
> application schemas, relationships between tables and so forth.  I am
> doubtful that OGR will get there in the forseeable future.

Sharing my cents, I agree with Frank.
XML <-> Database mapping is a very complex subject and I doubt it could
fit OGR API or simple command line tools.

Just as an example of complexity, Altova's MapForce can give some
overview what features are required to implement xml<->database exchange
framework:
http://www.altova.com/features_database_mapforce.html

Another example is Microsoft BizTalk Server and tools related to it.

> I would add that OGR doesn't generally understand inter-table relationships
> in RDBMSes either, nor provide a means to set them up.

Yup. Meta-information is required how to map XML elements to database
schema, etc.

Cheers
-- 
Mateusz Łoskot
http://mateusz.loskot.net