What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

XML is "Extensible Markup Language".

XML is a Data Definition language. That is, it defines how data is represented. XML is kind of like HTML on steroids. Anyone who knows what HTML is (and what it can do), can generally understand what XML is and what it can do. The really nice thing about XML is that you can create your own 'tag' types (whereas in HTML, you are limited to the 'tag' types that are defined as part of the HTML language, and you can't extend HTML to create your own tags).

XML (like HTML) is NOT code. XML doesn't execute anything. You can't compile XML into an executable application. XML is only meant to store data that can then be processed by an XML interpreter (just like you need a Web browser application, like Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator, to view a HTML rendered web page).

Based on the comments in many of the threads here, many people seem to believe that XML is some sort of "machine independant" code execution thingy, and this simply isn't true.

You can't execute XML code. If you want to store data in an XML format, you still need to create application code that does something with this data.

There ARE plenty of freely available XML parsers that will parse the XML data and allow you to retrieve the data stored in the XML file, but once the data has been retrieved, you still have to create some application code that does something with that data (just like you could retrieve tag data from an HTML file, but the string http://www.microsoft.com doesn't do anything magical just by itself). You have to create application code that DOES SOMETHING with that data.

XML is merely a nice way to organize configuration type data so that it can be retrieved by application code later on.

One not too nice thing about XML is that it is difficult to read/edit with just a text editor for the average novice computer user. It would be similar to creating all your HTML code using Notepad.exe. It CAN be done, but nobody in their right mind would REQUIRE users to create web pages using Notepad.exe

botman

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

Thanks a lot botman, this post was needed. 8)

<nag target="@$3.1415rin,killaruna">Markup languages seem to be quite fashionable in Germany, though... they must have interpreters built-in inside the brain :D</nag>

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

but but but... i did create my webpage in notepad!... :D

anyhow, yes, i tend to agree with PMB, it seems like german people got a interpeter built in or something. Perhaps there are some good XML editors that can easy the 'pain' of editing an XML file? Perhaps even make a sort of 'tree' of all those layers built in XML?

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

Phew, and I thought I was the only one! :D

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

don't worry guys, I'm here too ;)

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

Heh, when i was at university, we had i-net technology course (or something like that). The main target was to create a page about some tech process. Advised method was: notepad for editing; NetScape Navigator for viewing.
So no, u're not alone dudes!
Btw can give link to that stuff, if anyone wants to look at what we manage to do with THAT method...

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

the documentation pages for phpUA use an XML backend and have a link (at bottom of each page) to view the raw XML in case you want an example.

http://phpua.com/doc/ <- scroll to bottom for xml source linkage.

Were also porting all our config stuff to use an xml "database" of sorts for flatfile db.

oh and I write all my webscriping, C++, etc in Nano (similar to notepad)

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

/me mumbles something about lazyness and pulls out Dreamweaver MX 2004 :)

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

Personally, i'm not a giant fan of XML, I'm not entirely sure of my reasons thou, i can interpret it (I'm british btw ;)), write it, edit it.. but something about it doesnt feel right :)

Re: What XML is (and what it isn't)...
 

As a note.. nano sucks.. vi forever! :D