XML, or Extensible Markup Language, is a markup language that supports the sharing of data across different information systems. A markup language is a combination of text and information about the text’s structure or presentation. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), which is used for Web page development, is the best-known markup language. The Extensible Hypertext Markup Language (XHTML) is a combination of XML and HTML.
An XML file stores data in tags. A tag is a command inserted into a document that specifies how text is formatted (see example below). A programmer inserts the tags into a program and formats the display of the tags. When the program or Web page opens, the data will appear according to the tags’ format.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) developed XML as a simple way to transfer information across the Internet and for companies with different computing systems to use that information without any drastic changes to the structure of the data. The manipulation of the tags instead of the actual data saves companies that transfer data across the Internet time and money.
The financial industry uses XML extensively. Before XML, companies experienced data compatibility issues and had to spend time and money developing restructuring the data itself to meet the needs of a program. The problem was not with the systems but the structure of the data. XML allows companies to create a generic structure for data and then have its in-house computing resources program how to display the tags.
The lines below are an example of XML code:<note>
<to> IT Users </to>
<from> CTC ITD </from>
<heading> Example </heading>
<body> This is an example of XML code. </body>
</note>These lines in this XML file represent a message that can be read by a Web page or database designed to accept the <note>, <to> , <from>, <heading>, and <body> tags. The programmer manipulates the tags and the data appears already formatted when the program opens.
For more information about XML, click here.
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