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XML: A Quick Introduction
So, how is XML different than HTML? Isn't that what powers web pages? In simple terms, HTML is about the graphical presentation of information while XML is about the information itself. HTML is a page-layout language, a direct descendent of the "markup languages" used in early computer typesetting systems. XML is more akin to a database format used for storing and exchanging data. As a markup language, XML is not limited to the browser, or documents as we traditionally know them. Just as HTML allows a document to carry information on how to display it, XML allows a set of data to carry information on how to interpret it. The most talked-about use of XML is in browser-based applications, to allow the browser to operate somewhat more independently of the server. But it will also be used in many other situations where software on diverse systems must exchange information. The XML specification was originated by browser vendors -- primarily Netscape and Microsoft -- as a way to encourage browser-based software development. In order to make it a credible Internet standard, they did this through the standards-setting process of the World-Wide Web Coalition (W3C). It is in keeping with the W3C's mission: "to lead the World Wide Web to its full potential by developing common protocols that promote its evolution and insure its interoperability." The Standard Goes CommercialA standard is worthless without implementations, and commerical and business software developers are quickly beginning to embrace the new standard. XML and related new technology support can be found in Microsoft's Internet Explorer 4 and Internet Explorer 5 as well as Netscape Communicator/Navigator 5.0. But that's only the beginning of its reach. Microsoft's Office 2000 applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint) have native XML support cleverly hidden in their file formats. Other popular Office Suite applications, like Lotus SmartSuite and Corel Office, are gearing up for XML support, too. Is this a standard that's just useful to developers? For now, this is where the interest lies. But as programmers develop software using this standard on a wide variety of systems, there is great potential to improve users' experiences of web sites and intranet applications and accellerate the automation of business-to-business transactions. Having an agreed upon standard for data exchange will make systems more flexible and easier to build. Separating Out the HypeLike any developing and emerging standard, there is considerable hype surrounding XML's introduction. To some it's a panacea. Its promoters promise that it offers structure and order in this time of chaotic information overload. In reality, XML is a relatively modest standard. It simply provides a framework on which others might build more detailed standards for specific applications. The future success of XML depends on the degree to which software developers compromise about the use of XML in specific industries and applications. True to our mission, we at CSG are carefully watching XML's progress and looking at ways that it may be of benefit (or hinderance) to our clients. We'll keep you posted on what we find. Links
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) |
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ML, or Extensible Markup Language, is a standardized format for storing data and for exchanging it between different systems. It is a simplified version of SGML, a decade-old standard that has proved to be too complex and generalized for web browsers.