XML Uses

XML is applied to many aspects of Web development, 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 way you can focus on using HTML/CSS for display and layout, and ensure that modifying the underlying data no longer requires any changes to the 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 format, thus providing a data storage method that is independent of software and hardware.

This makes it easier to create data that can be shared by different applications.

XML Simplifies Data Transfer

For developers, one of the most time-consuming challenges has always been exchanging data between incompatible systems on the Internet.

Since data can be read through various incompatible applications, exchanging data with XML reduces this complexity.

XML Simplifies Platform Changes

Upgrading to new systems (hardware or software platforms) is always very 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 expand or upgrade to new operating systems, new applications, or new browsers without losing data.

XML Makes Your Data More Useful

Different applications can access your data, not only in HTML pages, but also from XML data sources.

With XML, your data can be used by various reading devices (handheld computers, voice devices, news readers, etc.), and can also be used by blind people or other people with disabilities.

XML Is Used to Create New Internet Languages

Many new Internet languages are created with XML.

Here are some examples:

  • XHTML
  • WSDL for describing available Web services
  • WAP and WML as markup languages for handheld devices
  • RSS language for news feeds
  • RDF and OWL for describing resources and ontology
  • SMIL for describing multimedia for the Web

If Developers Were Rational

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

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

Other Extensions