...There is a kind-of a standard API for XML databases, but it's not a very good one, and
doesn't have the backing of an established standards organisation. So the interface
code would have to be written to our dbxml API....
I think it's the biggest problem that slows down acceptance of XML databases today: not having the assurance of being able to move from one product to another if needed, as is doable with SQL databases.
But that's not a negative comment on your product, agreeing on a standard API takes time and SQL has been around for ages.
...The license is open source... but prevents binary redistribution without a license
from Sleepycat. This is how we fund the development of the code.
Who's the final authority for licensing decisions for the Apache project?
AFAIK it's the Cocoon PMC (Project Management Comittee), but other committers will hopefully comment on this.
Besides distributing dbxml with Cocoon, another option might be to use mock classes in the Cocoon CVS to simulate the dbxml API at compile-time, allowing users to plug their own copy of dbxml without downloading it from the Cocoon project.
You can see examples of this in the src/blocks/mail/mocks/javax/mail/ directory of the Cocoon source tree.
-Bertrand
