How does CML help molecular database users?
CML is not a database management system, but both database schemas and data can be represented in CML and often this can provide new approaches. Thus a CML document can be regarded as the serialisation of an object – in other words an ASCII representation of a objects held in programs or databases. (There will be other tools for serialisation but CML can be made isomorphous with them). In this sense CML acts as an object schema, and is being used as the basis for developing IDLs (for use with CORBA) in molecular sciences. There are many ways to manage objects, including distributed databases. Thus it could be reasonable to deliver a protein entry from several servers. One could hold its sequence, another its coordinates, a third the small molecules, etc. and these can all be transmitted as CML documents. CML can also be used to represent data in relational databases and can provide a mechanism for input, output and archival. CML also has a role to play in data entry. If entries are gen
CML is not a database management system, but both database schemas and data can be represented in CML and often this can provide new approaches. Thus a CML document can be regarded as the serialisation of an object – in other words an ASCII representation of a objects held in programs or databases. (There will be other tools for serialisation but CML can be made isomorphous with them.) In this sense CML acts as an object schema, or the basis for developing IDLs (for use with CORBA) in molecular sciences. There are many ways to manage objects, including distributed databases. Thus it could be reasonable to deliver a protein entry from several servers. One could hold its sequence, another its coordinates, a third the small molecules, etc. and these can all be transmitted as CML documents. CML can also be used to represent data in relational databases and can provide a mechanism for input, output and archival. CML also has a role to play in data entry. If entries are generated in CML (per
