Recap of What Was Discussed in This Chapter
Client/server is an open-ended architecture that provides for enhanced extensibility. It usually is implemented in two-tier, three-tier, or n-tier configurations and is based on the organization of data, application, and client logic.
SQL Server 2000 provides several methods for generating XML documents directly from relational data. SQL queries can be placed directly in a URL, and they can be placed in template files. Templates themselves also can be placed directly in a URL.
There are several special characters that, if placed in a URL, must be rewritten so they will be interpreted correctly.
SQL queries in URLs provide much functionality. In addition to providing for document well-formedness by furnishing a ROOT element, they allow parameter passing and specifying included XSLT stylesheets.
SQL template files provide the same functionality as direct SQL queries while at the same time making queries much more legible. They also provide a level of enhanced security by hiding the details of the database structure from the end user.
The capability of executing SQL Serverstored procedures is very important to prevent possibly rewriting large amounts of code. This capability is provided for not only via SQL queries in URLs but also via template files.