[uf-discuss] Storing Microformats

[Paul Kinlan]

Hi,

I have created a C#/.Net Stream-based Microformat parser
(http://www.codeplex.com/microformat) and I am trying to create some
reference applications to show it off.

I am in the process of creating an "Operator" like plugin for IE (It
currently parses and displays the microformats that have been found on
a page).

One of the other ideas that I am toying with is a Microformat spider,
that crawls the web looking for microformats, storing them and then
allowing them to be searched.   My question is: How are people storing
the data present in microformats so that they can be searched and
maintained and consumed in applications etc?

In previous projects (www.topicala.com/people) I have stored them in a
flat structure in a relational database.  I have however found this to
not be that flexible, especially if a feature on a microformat changes
or if I want to add support for a new format (which is now entirely
possible in the Microformat parser I have created - It is as simple as
changing a config file to get at the new data).  I suspect that
storing the data exactly as it is formed on the page might be a good
idea, but I am thinking that there may be drawbacks with this because
it is not easy to know the semantics of the data held without having
to re-parse the data again.



Kind Regards,
Paul Kinlan