Semi-Structured Data Model

This is a Data Model that is based on Graphs

  • for representing both regular and irregular data


Main Ideas:

  • Data is Self-Describing
  • Flexible Data Typing
  • Serialized Forms


Data is Self-Describing

The content comes with it's own description

Starting point:

  • associations list: a collection of key-value pairs

For example, a record:

  • name : Alan,
  • tel : 32190,
  • email : alan@aol.ru

But values themselves can be collections

  • name :
    • first : Alan,
    • last : Black
  • tel : 32190,
  • tel : 32191,
  • email : alan@aol.ru


And some labels may repeat


Graphical representation

  • can graphically represent as Trees
  • semi-structured-ex1.png
  • semi-structured-ex2.png
  • the XML Data Model adopts this representation


Flexible Data Typing

  • there can be no typing at all
  • but data may be typed


There's a serialized form

  • The serialized representation of a such graph
  • XML
  • JSON
  • etc


Links

Sources