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Proprietary Formats

Data in different formats require that the correct software application be purchased in order to open and read a document written in a specified appication. Examples are invoice programs, spreadsheets, graphics and web pages. This makes data exchange cumbersome, expensive and difficult.

Any simple text editor can create, and therefore, read an XML document. In this respect, the XML document remains independent of any specific software applications, platforms and operating systems.

Document Content

XML markup tells gives more information about the content of a document. You could markup a book that has the title of "Landscaping and Gardening", using an HTML level heading tag such as <h1>, but does that tag really tell you that this element's content is a book?

Marking up this book in XML will look like this:

<book>Landscaping and Gardening</book>

instead of HTML markup:

<h1>Landscaping and Gardening</h1>

Which markup tells you more about the content?

Once authors redefine their markup and search engines come up with a new way to index XML documents apart from HTML written documents, a search for reviews about the "Landscaping and Gardening" book should result in an exact match of the expected result by the user.

Content Management

XML is the key to content management because it can be utilized along with a programming interface to deliver content to various devices such as cell phones, tele-prompters, print media and browsers.

One XML document can be easily imported into various document formats. this can be accomplished through the use of a programming interface and/or XSLT.

Different types of styling can be applied to meet any need or to rearrange the content of the XML document or to meet different needs.

Therefore, the XML document is written once and can be used over and over again. The processing load is also moved from the Web server to the client if needed.

Legacy Systems

XML will be responsible for the integration of data from legacy systems, current systems and future sources by creating a universal data transfer format. It will improve interoperability, data transfer and information communications.

Documents written in XML are portable. XML makes it easier to expand or upgrade a system to new operating systems, servers, applications and new browsers. It provides the common denominator for all foreseeable systems.

Accessibility

XML is in a format easily by man or machine.

Data is accessible to more users. Since XML is independent of hardware, software and application, a document's content is easily available for the blind or those with other disabilities.

Create New Languages

XML can be used to create industry specific languages such as for financial institutions, the IRS, governments and in areas such as math, music and chemistry. It has already done so for handheld devices like mobile phones by creating the WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and WML (Wireless Markup Language) languages. Companies such as Nokia and Motorola already agree upon a standard use of XML through a DTD (Document Type Definition.) and/or schema.

Database Integration

Using XML, plain text files can be used to store data. Applications can be written to store, retrieve and display the data. Tags can be written to match database fields already in place.

Content Validity

XML, along with the use of a schema, which supports data typing, or a DTD can ensure that the data entered into the XML document will help to maintain the integerity of that data and therefore, any application that will use that data.

Extensible Attributes and Values

Additional information about an element can be described in an attribute format. For example, the <full_name> element can carry an attribute of gender="male/female".

<full_name gender="male/female">

However, debate continues over whether it is better to define additional information about an element through the use of an attribute or whether an extra element tag should be defined. The developer will usually do research to reach this decision.

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