If these people really work with hierarchically structured data, let them try a hierarchical database (even though PostgreSQL is your favourite database). They will profit 100fold from the advantages such a database has for such data. I now several biologists specialized in taxonomy (which is by nature hierarchically structured) and they all use a hierarchical database for their data.
If these people want to output relational data in a hierarchical way (eg XML), they will have to learn sql (to manage their data in a relational database) and some xml library (in Perl, PHP, ASP or whatever they like most) to transform what the database outputs into the way they want it to look. Especially such people are quick learners and stating they can't do that is simply unbelievable. Anyway there should always be some IT guy in the neighbourhood to help them out. I suppose that would be you.
Once again, don't try to let your sportscar fly. While it probably can be done, using a plane is so much more logical.
>>> Dmitry Turin <sql4-en@narod.ru> 2007-04-20 17:59 >>>
TML was born in discuss with these users
(mainly nucleus physicists, optics , molecular biologists, zoologist
and ecologist)