The course is about the foundations and tools for dealing with tree shaped data, a prevalent data model used for representing semi-structured data over distributed information systems. It aims at presenting an approach for modelling, querying and processing either document-centric or data-centric information in a homogeneous way. The theoretical part introduces underlying concepts sustaining the approach. The practical part illustrates the application of concepts in a concrete context: the development of Web applications that make use of an XML native database (one category of the NoSQL databases) and associated standardized languages.

At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
- Understand and explain the differences - strengths and weaknesses - of a tree structured model in comparison with other data models.
- Understand the fundamental principles of a strongly typed language to manipulate tree structured data.
- Understand the benefit to use standardized core languages for modeling, querying, re-purposing and processing tree structured data in comparison with other languages such as those proposed by JSON, as an example.
- Identify situations where information management requirements can be more appropriately dealt with a tree structured data model approach.