XML query processing: Indices and histograms

Abstract

As XML gains unprecedented popularity as the standard format for presenting and exchanging information over the Internet in both the commercial and academic community, the XML database floats as a suitable, semi-structured alternative to store data. The inherent structure of XML documents renders traditional query optimization techniques for relational databases inapplicable or inadequate in the new context. This dissertation investigates two basic tools for query optimization in the XML databases: indices and histograms.