From 'HTML' -> 'XML' -Why?

[Peter Christensen]

I just started to study some material about web-design with XML and
Java.

I just have this simple question:

* What is it that we can do with the new XML, that was not possible in
HTML?

I read that one could somehow make pages more 'active' and add
'applications' to the pages in a new an different way with XML. -But
this appears to me, to be a little bit confusing. One could also put
Java apps on HTML pages, and apart from that several other ways of
client side applications, and scripts, are possible in HTML.

Who could have an advantage in going to XML in stead? -Maybe somebody
who knows much more about HTML can see the differences and advantages
much more clearly, than I do. Where do we have to use XML instead of
HTML?

PC

 

[SpaceGirl]

I just started to study some material about web-design with XML and
Java.

I just have this simple question:

* What is it that we can do with the new XML, that was not possible in
HTML?

I read that one could somehow make pages more 'active' and add
'applications' to the pages in a new an different way with XML. -But
this appears to me, to be a little bit confusing. One could also put
Java apps on HTML pages, and apart from that several other ways of
client side applications, and scripts, are possible in HTML.

Who could have an advantage in going to XML in stead? -Maybe somebody
who knows much more about HTML can see the differences and advantages
much more clearly, than I do. Where do we have to use XML instead of
HTML?

PC

Uh... well other than them both being types of markup, that's where the
similarity ends. It's a bit like saying "so, what are the advantages of
french over english".

XML is a way of binding data in a symantically logical way so that it
can be processed. HTML is for making web pages.

XML is a structure - you can create your own XML tags, and what you do
with those tags when you process them is up to you. HTML has strict
tags, you cannot make up your own.

XML contains two small programming languages, allowing you to quickly
translate your data from one format to the other via stylesheets; XSLT
and XPath. HTML has no programming functionality.

As you can see, you really you cannot compair XML and HTML. While they
are related, they just dont do the same thing.

--


x theSpaceGirl (miranda)

# lead designer @ http://www.dhnewmedia.com #
# remove NO SPAM to email, or use form on website #

 

[Philip Ronan]

* What is it that we can do with the new XML, that was not possible in
HTML?

Are you confusing XML with XHTML perhaps?

The thing about XML is that it's much more flexible and portable than HTML.

For example you could use the same source XML files to produce HTML web
pages, WML pages for mobile phones, printed documents for a magazine, and
RSS newsfeeds for use on other websites.

If you're managing the communications of a large organization then you
should definitely be using XML.

If you're just producing a few web pages of your own, then it's not such a
big deal.

 

[Andy Dingley]

* What is it that we can do with the new XML, that was not possible in
HTML?

Wrong question. XML is useful, but comparing it to HTML isn't the
most obvious or useful role for it.

 

[Toby Inkster]

XML contains two small programming languages [...] XSLT and XPath.

XSLT is no more a part of XML than Javascript is a part of HTML.

XPath isn't a programming language at all. It's an addressing syntax.

 

[SpaceGirl]

SpaceGirl wrote:

XML contains two small programming languages [...] XSLT and XPath.

XSLT is no more a part of XML than Javascript is a part of HTML.

XPath isn't a programming language at all. It's an addressing syntax.

Wellllll okay. Too tired to argue a point of view thing on that one

--


x theSpaceGirl (miranda)

# lead designer @ http://www.dhnewmedia.com #
# remove NO SPAM to email, or use form on website #

 

[aa]

* What is it that we can do with the new XML, that was not possible in >
HTML?

HTML is designed for data presentation. Though a lot of HTML pages happen
to store data, this is just a by-product .
XML is designed for data storage.
In a way XML is like a database stored in a flat text file.
While HTML tags describe how to show the data and does not care what you put
between <> and </>, XML tags describe data meaning. So if you have an XML
tag <invoice_date> you can only put the invloice date in it.
So XML tags can be compared to field names in a database. Like with
database/HTML combination, with XML/HTML you can separate website contents
from its presentation.