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XML

    XML Editor's Picks

    • How to Use CDATA in XML

      Sometimes within the XML syntax, developers will place a string of input between character data, or CDATA brackets. The information that is placed between these brackets is unrecognizable to the XML parser. The motivation for using CDATA is to either place special notes within the code or to include illegal characters, such as... more »

    • Basics of XML

      XML, extensible markup language, is used for storing data in a hierarchical tree format. The language utilizes tags created by the developer, which describe the nature of the input. The information in XML files are typically parsed by an external application such as a web page. more »

    • How to Convert Flat Files to XML

      To convert a flat file to XML it is necessary for the structure of the file to include data separated by specific delimiters. Since flat files normally serve as storage bins for logically sequenced information, the conversion to XML is quite simple. There are two ways to complete this task: (1) Open the flat file and fill in the XML... more »

    • How to Convert XML to Doc

      XML is a great programming language, but it can be hard to navigate and access when in its natural form. Converting it to .doc form can help you find and alter parts of code. Also, converting it can be helpful in sharing the code with others. more »

    • How to Create a New XML File

      New XML files are generated by programs as a way of housing output data for later querying by the same or a different application. To generate a new XML file from an external program, certain specifications must be met, such as making sure the hierarchical structure adheres to XML standards. The generation and the naming of the new... more »

    XML Articles

    • About XML

      XML has quickly become popular ever since its inception. XML is being used everywhere by programmers and developers alike, and is used as a common... more »

    • How to Use an Element in XML

      XML uses a hierarchy of matching start and end markup tags to create a document of structured data. Each start tag defines an XML Element. An... more »

    • How to Use an If Statement in XML

      XML has become one of the primary ways to store structured data for use on the Internet. Relational databases are another widely used data store.... more »

    • How to Program XML

      XML, or extensible markup language, can be a great tool for structuring data and forms on the Web, among other things. XML evolved out of the... more »

    • What Is an XML Database?

      In computer technology, a database is a powerful way to store large volumes of data. Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a web-based programming... more »

    Wikipedia

    XML

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    XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a set of rules for encoding documents electronically. It is defined in the produced by the W3C and several other related specifications; all are fee-free open standards.

    XML’s design goals emphasize simplicity, generality, and usability over the Internet."XML Goals"> It is a textual data format, with strong support via Unicode for the languages of the world. Although XML’s design focuses on documents, it is widely used for the representation of arbitrary data structures, for example in web services.

    There are a variety of programming interfaces which software developers may use to access XML data, and several schema systems designed to aid in the definition of XML-based languages.

    , hundreds of XML-based languages have been developed,"Cover pages list"> including RSS, Atom, SOAP, and XHTML. XML-based formats have become the default for most office-productivity tools, including Microsoft Office (Office Open XML), OpenOffice.org (OpenDocument), and Apples iWork

    Key terminology
    The material in this section is based on the . This is not an exhaustive list of all the constructs which appear in XML; it provides an introduction to the key constructs most often encountered in day-to-day use.

    (Unicode) Character
    By definition, an XML document is a string of characters. Almost every legal Unicode character may appear in an XML document.

    Processor and Application
    Software which processes an XML document. It is expected that a processor works in the service of an application. There are certain very specific requirements about what an XML processor must do and not do, but none as to the behavior of the application. The processor (as the specification calls it) is often referred to colloquially as an XML parser.

    Markup and Content
    The characters which make up an XML document are divided into markup and content. Markup and content may read more at » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML

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