Chapter 8. Importing and Exporting XML with Microsoft Access

Relational databases and XML aren't always the best of friends. XML documents store information in hierarchies, while relational databases store information in linked tables. XML document structures are typically much more open than relational databases, which focus on regularity for better performance. Because of these differences, it doesn't make sense to rebuild Microsoft Access as an XML application. Instead, Access uses XML as a means of communicating with the outside world, capable of representing the information it stores as XML and also able to accept new or changed information through XML messages. Add in a little XSLT, and you have a whole new interface for connecting Access to different applications.

The XML features in Access are available in every copy of Office 2003; there's no Standard/Professional/Enterprise distinction for you to worry about.