The integration of XML databases and content management systems in digital editions
We have identified four models for integrating digital edition content into eXist-db [eXist-db], which are, in increasing order of dependence on eXist-db itself: 1) using Apache [Apache] and PHP [PHP] to mediate between the user and eXist-db, so that eXist-db provides only XML database services, 2) a pure XQuery framework for building an eXist-db web application [Web applications], 3) the eXist-db HTML templating framework [HTML templating], and 4) TEI Publisher [TEI Publisher]. Our examination and comparison of these ways of conceptualizing and implementing the infrastructure for a digital edition reveals that each of them has advantages and disadvantages, primarily from the perspective of sustainability. These considerations apply to edition frameworks generally, and are therefore not specific to eXist-db, which has been used here as an example because of the number of editions that employ it and the variety of models it currently supports.