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XML Basics and Benefits

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language and it grew organically from the need to improve the functionality of Web technologies through the use of a more flexible and adaptable means to identify information.

XML is a metalanguage. That is, it is a language that describes other languages. What this really means is that XML is more of a standard and supporting structure than a standalone programming language. It is a standard you can follow to create your own language and syntax that meets the XML criteria.

• Part 1 of the XML Basics Tutorial begins with a look at the overriding benefits of XML, which allows developers to define tags and the structural relationships between them.

• Part 2 of the XML Basics Tutorial defines, discusses, and illustrates some of the key concepts crucial to understanding and working with XML documents.

• Part 3 of the XML Basics Tutorial is where you put the pieces together and experiment with hands-on with XML.

• Part 4 The fourth and final part of the XML Basics Tutorial examines the use of XSLT to format the output of your XML files.