What Do I Need To Know About XML?
Posted in Web Site Templates And Design
If you’ve spent any time among web programmers, you’ve likely heard them mention XML as a component of current web technology. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language, which is similar in many ways to HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language. HTML should be familiar to most web savvy folks, even those who haven’t made a career in web development. HTML works by telling the browser how to display the information in the page. XML is different in that the information encoded can be processed as data or be displayed like HTML.
An example might help make this clearer. Say you put the word “zip” in tags, meaning the following data is a zip code. Put the word “zip” in tags, meaning the data in the tags is a zip code. The XML file can be used different ways, including being processed as data by another program or stored as data on another computer, or be displayed on a web page.
XML and HTML are used together often in web pages, with XML markup often appearing within an HTML page. The “extensible” part of XML means that markup symbols are self-defined and unlimited. Because of the resulting flexibility, it’s easy to see why some consider it the language of choice when comparing HTML and XML.
For those with an interest in web development, it is well worth the time investment to learn XML. The language is continually developing, but is already widely used in blog newsfeeds, weather services, and e-commerce sites. The XML is used to manage and transmit data, and the browser is used to display that data as needed. In addition, XML is often used to “package” data, which allows for transfer between systems that might otherwise be unable to communicate. Think of it as a virtual “envelope,” used to transmit data identity and structure. If web development is in your future, the benefits of learning XML should be pretty clear!
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