1. A method comprising: receiving, at a database server, a request to change an XML document by performing an operation on a portion of the XML document, wherein the XML document is stored on durable storage; in response to the request, accessing the portion of the XML document through relational structures managed by the database server; and making the change to the XML document on durable storage by performing the operation on the portion of the XML document without rewriting onto the durable storage other portions of the XML document.