Should data be changed according to defaults in Schema?

We just came across the following problem:

Should an XML-database, into which data is inserted according to a
Schema, automatically insert the defined default values or should the 
data be stored unchanged as it was entered and the defaults should 
only be provided according to the Schema when data is retrieved via 
queries?

If the database does not insert the defaults, the data will be different
when queried against the Schema, as when accessing the data directly.
However the data which is retrieved from the database is not the same
as the data which was entered, if the database inserts the defaults.

Are there any specifications for this question and if not, what would 
you think is the better solution?  Or should there be an option for telling
the database whether to change the data or not?  Does anyone know how
other databases handle this?

thanks,
    Heiko Weber

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Received on Friday, 2 February 2001 05:59:24 UTC