HTML and the World Wide Web are everywhere, and we all know that HTML is popular but it is badly limited to what it can do, and now, HTML is being used to do things it was never designed for, this is what XML overcame. XML is easy to understand for anyone who knows HTML. XML is a Meta Language that is used to define a new markup language, using XML, you can create a language created specifically for your application or domain.
XML nowadays is mostly used to distribute data and as a storage. Due to its descriptive tags, it is easier to understand the components and functionality of each and every tag. On the other hand, it’s very own flexibility allows XML to be commonly used by most of application now. In the old days, where different systems have incompatibility issues, it is hard to share data to each system. XML changed the way of data sharing and transcends incompatibility issues each system may encounter. In fact, you don’t need to expose your database/storage structure to be able to exchange data. All you need is a list of data you need to have and you can formulate a XML structure that can be used in sending the actual record you needed.
Composing an XML structure is very simple. It’s like composing a letter with descriptions, in which once done, you can distribute it whenever you like. May it be by PULL or PUSH methods, and with the help of internet access and a browser, you can share your XML through a form of a URL/link that can be accessed by the receiver anytime and anywhere as long as there is access to the internet. You can also have a system that sends XML in a form of a file to share it.
With development of technologies, XML became more useful in our daily living. Even without noticing it we are already using XML. Our mobile/smart phone uses XML to get us updated on any subscription we are enrolled to. Social Media also uses XML to throw updates to some of their applications. XML may come in many forms, the common one that we always hear is the RSS. RSS is one of the several products of XML application. Thanks to XML, we can now be updated to whatever event we are subscribing in. May it be a national event, weather forecast, television show or sports?
For an enthusiast there is nothing cooler than to be updated to whatever event you follow. A good example would be on sports, being updated to every single detail of a sports event is very important to those die-hard fans. XML revolutionizes the way of sharing these sports events because with just a single input, it can be translated to hundreds of applications that can be shared to millions of people around the world.
The example above shows a simple way of sharing sports data in XML format. With a simple line of text you can imagine countless products related to sports such as betting websites, sports updates, mobile apps, RSS feeds and desktops. With all these fast transitions in technology, it is no surprise to see more to come.
