What is XML?


XML is eXtensible Markup Language, a browser-based system for defining and describing data.  It is not dependant on the type of server you are running your website on, and it was developed as a way to improve on HTML.

In XML, you can define your own tags, and use a Document Type Definition (DTD) or XML Scheme to describe the data.  It is not a replacement for HTML, as HTML is focused on displaying the data while XML is focused on describing the data.

So, for example, if you were writing a note to a friend, the XML for that note could be:

<note>
<to>Jane</to>
<from>John</from>
<heading>Meeting Reminder</heading>
<body>Don’t forget the meeting today!</body>
</note>

This note has all the information it needs, including a heading, message body, a sender, and a recipient, but it does not actively display or do anything.  There must be software that interprets the XML and sends, receives, and displays it.

XML can be used to describe data between different mediums and software, allowing you to transfer information between systems, such as transferring print documentation to an online database, or vice versa.  You can find out more about XML at http://www.xml.com/.



Article ID: 577
Created On: Wed, Apr 1, 2015 at 11:58 AM
Last Updated On: Thu, Apr 23, 2015 at 12:43 PM

Online URL: https://www.heartinternet.uk/support/article/what-is-xml.html