XML purpose

XML uses

XML is used in many aspects of Web development and is often used to simplify the storage and sharing of data.

XML separates data from HTML

If you need to display dynamic data in an HTML document, you will spend a lot of time editing HTML whenever the data changes.

With XML, data can be stored in separate XML files. This allows you to focus on using HTML/CSS for display and layout, and ensures that modifying the underlying data eliminates any changes to HTML.

By using a few lines of JavaScript code, you can read an external XML file and update the data content of your Web page.

XML simplifies data sharing

In the real world, computer systems and data use incompatible formats to store data.

XML data is stored in plain text, thus providing a data storage method independent of software and hardware.

This makes it easier to create data that different applications can share.

XML simplifies data transfer

One of the most time-time-time-facing challenges for developers has been the exchange of data between incompatible systems on the Internet.

Swapping data in XML reduces this complexity because data can be read through a variety of incompatible applications.

XML simplifies platform changes

Upgrading to a new system (hardware or software platform) is always time-consuming. Large amounts of data must be converted, and incompatible data is often lost.

XML data is stored in text format. This makes it easier for XML to scale or upgrade to a new operating system, new application, or new browser without losing data.

XML makes your data more useful

Different applications have access to your data, not just on HTML pages, but also from XML data sources.

With XML, your data can be used by a variety of reading devices (handheld computers, voice devices, news readers, etc.) and for blind or other disabled people.

XML is used to create a new Internet language

Many new Internet languages are created through XML.

Here are some examples:

• Xhtml
• The WSDL used to describe the available Web services
• WAP and WML as markup languages for handheld devices
• The RSS language used for news feeds
• Describes the capital and ontogeneity of the RDF and OWL
• Used to describe SMIL for multimedia for the Web

If developers are rational

If they're all rational, let future applications use XML to exchange data.

In the future, there may be word processing software, spreadsheet programs, and databases that can read each other's data in XML format without using any conversion programs.

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