Editing XML database (section)

== Integration with Relational Databases ==
XML databases are often used in combination with relational databases to manage and store hierarchical data. A significant challenge in such integrations is extracting XML documents from relational databases, which requires specialized techniques and tools. These techniques often include:

# Mapping Relational Data to XML: Schema mapping is a critical process that defines how relational tables correspond to XML elements and attributes.
# XQuery Processing: Querying XML data extracted from relational databases may involve XQuery, a language designed for querying and transforming XML.

One of the most common scenario involves converting relational data into XML documents<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-01-01 |title=Extracting XML Documents from Relational Databases - 7 Tips |url=https://vividorigins.com/xml-documents-from-relational-databases/ |access-date=2025-01-06 |website=Vivid Origins |language=en-US}}</ref> to facilitate standards with systems relying on XML-based standards, such as web services or APIs. This process is important in applications where structured and semi-structured data co-exist and must be integrated perfectly.

For example, extracting hierarchical data from relational databases and converting it into XML is a common approach when generating XML feeds, exchanging data between systems, or implementing XML-based configurations.