XML - Extensible Data Format

XML, the eXtended Markup Language, is a successor for SGML. More general than html, it incorporate data inside tags themselves and has unlimited description capacities. The format of the display is independant, and given by another document, the XSLT. Rules to create tags are defined by another document, the DTD (Document Type Declaration) which describes the grammar of the tags.
XML is processed by most programming languages through the Document Object Model.

XML features

- Significant tags based upon the content of data.
- Separated document used for the presentation.

Why to use XML?

This is a standard and universal data format. It allows to reuse a presentation for different data or use different presentations for same data.

XML Tools

Xin
XML editor and validator. (Win).
Html-Kit
An XML-HTML editor allowing converting from one other.
Cooktop
XML editor for Windows.
Apache
A Java or C++ Parser for XML (Xerces) is distributed by the Apache group. Several other XML tools also.
Simkin
A GNU LGPL system for integrating scripts inside XML.
XML SDK
The XML sdk (search on MS' site) holds an XML parser and documentation. And XPL Pad, an editor.
IDE Smil
Smil allows to describe animations in XML for the web.

XML Sites

XML
Site by O'reilly, with articles, tutorials.
Xml.org
News and article on XML.
XML Hack
Last news about XML technology and tools.
Zvon.org
Tutorials to download.
Xul
Articles about XML technologies including XUL.
XML Database
Interfacing XML and databases.

Sample code

An invoice

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<!- Invoice from Scriptol Corp. ->
<invoice>
  <order>000156</order> 
    <date timezone="Greenwhich">
         Jan 1, 2003 14:30:00                
    </date>
    <address> 
        <firstName>Sherlock</firstName>                
        <lastName>Holmes</lastName>                
        <street>5 Baker St.</street>
         <city>London</city>
         <state>England</state>
          <zip>75004</zip>
     </address>
     <amount> 270 </amount>
  </order>
</invoice>

Home