eXtensible Markup Language (XML) is invented to share and store data independent of platforms and technologies. XML has emerged as the de-facto standard for configurations and data services of new generation applications due to its simplicity and portability.

An XML document contains element(s). An element may have simple text, other element(s), and attribute(s).

The following XML technologies are created to define, manage, and use of data stored in XML:

• Document Type Definition (DTD) defines the legal building blocks, the elements and attributes of an XML document. DTD didn't address what values (i.e. data type) these elements and attributes can have.
• XML Schema Definition (XSD) is also used to define the legal building blocks, the elements and attributes of an XML document, just like a DTD but XML Schemas has support for data types and namespaces.
• XML Namespaces provides a method to avoid element name conflicts.
• XML Query Language (XQuery) plays the same role as SQL plays for RDBMS.
• XML Path Language (XPath) provides a method to directly select nodes or node-sets in an XML document. It is the foundation for XSLT.
• XML Linking Language (XLink) defines a standard way of creating hyperlinks in XML documents.
• XML Pointer Language (XPointer) allows the hyperlinks to point to more specfic sections of the XML document.
• eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformations (XSLT) facilitates xml document transformations into XHTML, other XML, text, and various other format document.

Disclaimer

The thoughts expressed in the blog are those of the author and do not represent necessarily the official policy or position of any other agency, organization, employer, or company. Assumptions made in the study are not reflective of the point of view(s) of any entity other than the author. Since we are critically thinking human beings, the point of view(s) is always subject to change, revision and rethinking at any time. While reasonable efforts have been made to obtain accurate information, the author makes no warranty, expressed or implied as to its accuracy.