Sorry, the argument isn't over storing it as XML ... which was perhaps an explanation error on my part. The argument is just over a single table with a blob field storing every value for a data element using string based values instead of keys etc. They do put some XML into the blob field...but most of the values are just straight characters. It is also pure laziness and no regard for proper design. Especially after having me (for months now) labor to create all the said proper tables and then cause one developer complained "boo hoo I have to change my code", he apparently had enough clout to have it remain as is. I don't really care if the data is stored as XML or not, its just this single table thing that is going to get SUPER huge and some of our data records are one to many relationships... so not quite sure how the hell they plan to handle that.
Are you telling me you spent months designing tables in isolation from your developers? Maybe we should drop the design questions here and you could go into more detail on the process you're burdened with operating within. How did they finish code that they cannot now change, if the tables weren't done? Clearly there should have been some agreement on table structure before either of you started, why didn't that happen?
OMG don't get me started. NO!!! We had meetings and discussions and "understandings". I even have an email from one of the developers a couple days before this last meeting asking me at what point the tables should be populated and getting specifics on things. But then suddenly, they turned the tables (pun intended). A lot of the development they were doing they hard coded things and/or just populating this blob table as a "place holder". Place holder my butt!!! I am also appalled that they aren't following any sort of SDLC methodology... just sort of "get it done" approach. But it will be me that gets thrown under the bus when everything tanks...