XML is a standard for the creation of tagging languages.It is easy to build XML processing applications,opening it up to a wide variety of practical applications.XML is a very simple technology.Let's look at how we can use it to keep our own Web sites and publishing systems running efficiently and in good order.
| Dynamic&static | Scope | Limits | Structure of XML | Function |
| Parts | Elements | attributes | Entities | Processing | Notations | Links |
The Web started as a collection of static pages.They were used to researchers only to share the information on the Internet.But now web pages are dynamically generated,thrust is on to create interactive websites.
Advantages of a dynamically generated web content are:
- Media Neutrality
- Future Proof
- Individualization
- Component Based Content Management
XML is proclaimed as the saviour of the web.
XML is a method for defining tag-sets;it defines the syntax of the tagging language.
XML is eXtensible,wherein one can create his own tagging language.But to support this it should be with HTML4.0.XML can play a significant role in adding richer structure to dynamically generated pages.Together with a relational database makes to create information structures that are both simple and natural,yet more powerful and flexible.
| Dynamic&static | Scope | Limits | Structure of XML | Function |
| Parts | Elements | attributes | Entities | Processing | Notations | Links |
HTML is a tagging language prescribed for describing the content of a document.But now with every imaginable kind of information being put on the net, the structure becomes very essential which HTML was unable to cope up with.Some of its inadequancies includes searching,site management and link management.
All this lack dynamic resources which has been overcome by the advent of the XML.
Structured information runs the world.Without structure in information we will have only random sounds and letters without meaning.
In the Database world,the structure rules and the data conforms.XML allows us to separate the content of a document from its formatting.Adding structure at a presentation level, let us express the particular appearance that an information product should have in an chosen medium.
In HTML tags are words surrouded by angled brackets.
Tagging languages exist inorder to allow computers to read the structure of a set of data.In XML you can create tags as you wish.
Take a look at this example:
what <b> is <i> your </i> name </b>.
By convention <b> is often used to mean bold & <i> for italic.But in your markup ,you can define for yourself by giving boring and inaccurate.Hence no tag name has a universal meaning.It is your language and you should do what makes sense for your language.
| Dynamic&static | Scope | Limits | Structure of XML | Function |
| Parts | Elements | attributes | Entities | Processing | Notations | Links |
XML offers set of elements one can utilise in their tagging language .These include elements,attributes,entities,processing instructions and notations.
An element is simply an container.It can contain other elements,text or a mixture of text and other elements.Here is an simple example;cartoon contains other elements,element jerry contains text,element tom contains both other element and text.
<cartoon> <tom> <don't run> <jerry> ok </jerry> </tom> </cartoon>.
An empty element is one which has no content.Empty elements are of two types:
- Regular element-eg;<cartoon> </cartoon>.
- Empty by nature-eg;<br/> <hr/>.
Attributes is the addition of information to the elements.They are listed inside the start tag as a list of names/value pairs.Here is an example;
<date day ="3" month="june" year="1999"/>.
| Dynamic&static | Scope | Limits | Structure of XML | Function |
| Parts | Elements | attributes | Entities | Processing | Notations | Links |
An entity is a mechanism for substituting characters,strings of text,or other items into a document.The following example is descibed with syntax;
<meaning less than.
There are three types of entities:
Pre-defined,Internal and External.
Pre-defined entities are build into the definition of XML itself.There are some pre-defined entities:
Entity Character < < > > & & " "
Internal entities have their values declared in the DTD.External entities get their values from outside the document.
Processing instruction is nothing but an instruction from the document to the processing application.It consists of <? followed by a name,name of the application,the processing instructions is directed to a space the text of the information and finally ?>.
Eg;
<?xml stylesheet href="style.css" type="text/css" ?>.
Notations are a mechanism designed to include non-xml data in a xml document such as graphic.Don't do it,if you need to reference non-xml data,point to it don't include it.
Links in XML describes this broad senses to refer a relationship between two pieces of information,to a connection between two physical resources and to user interface objects such as a hot page on a web page.
By XML linking it is essential to remember that expressing relationship between pieces of information in a content based tagging language,expressing relationship between resources in a synthesis based tagging language and creating hot spots and user interface objects in a presentation based language are three very different things.
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