All four of this week's reading concerned XML (extensible markup language). XML is a subset of SGML (standard generalized markup language). Using XML is suppose to make it easy to interchange structured documents over the Internet. XML is considered important for presentation, exchange, and management of information. XML is not a predefined set of tags that can be used to markup documents like HTML. XML documents are composed of a series of entities or objects. Each entity has one or more logical elements. Elements have attributes or properties. XML is a formal syntax for describing the relationships between entities, elements, and attributes. XML allows the bringing together of multiple files to form compound documents. XML identifies illustrations to be incorporated into text files, provides processing control information to support programs, and allows the addition of editorial comment to a file. XML coded files are ideal for storing in databases because it is object orientated and heirarchical nature. XML usually contain a DTD (document type declaration) which defines the structure of XML.
XML is a rapidly growing technology that has been undergoing standardization. According to Survey of XML Standards, standards are any specification that is significantly adopted by a diversity of vendors or recommended by a respectable vendor-neutral organization.
XML Schema is an XML based alternative to DTD that describes the structure of an XML document.
The readings and tutorials really became technical. The last tutorial recommended a basic understanding of HTML and XHTML, XML and XML namespaces, and DTD. I'm not sure that reading a few readings is enough to obtain a basic understanding. Hopefully some hands on practice with do what mere reading can't.
