Why XML is used instead of HTML?

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The XML FAQ — Frequently-Asked Questions about the Extensible Markup Language

Q 2.3: Should I use XML instead of HTML?

Yes if you need robustness, accuracy, and persistence.

XML allows authors and providers to design their own document markup instead of being limited by HTML. Document types can be explicitly tailored to an application, so the cumbersome fudging and poodlefaking that has to take place with HTML becomes a thing of the past: your markup can always say what it means. Trivial example:

last Monday
          

• Information content can be richer and easier to use, because the descriptive and hypertext linking abilities of XML are much greater than those available in HTML.

• XML can provide more and better facilities for browser presentation and performance, using XSLT and CSS stylesheets;

• It removes many of the underlying complexities of SGML-format HTML (which led to them being ignored and broken) in favour of a more flexible model, so writing programs to handle XML is much easier than doing the same for all the old broken HTML.

• Information becomes more accessible and reusable, because the more flexible markup of XML can be used by any XML software instead of being restricted to specific manufacturers as has become the case with HTML.

• XML files can be used outside the Web as well, in existing document-handling environments (eg publishing).

If your information is transient, or completely static and unreferenced, or very short and simple, and unlikely to need updating, HTML may be all you need.

HTML and XML are both markup languages that allow you to markup text in a way that makes it easier for computers to read. They're both used to store information in plain-text files, but they serve very different purposes.

XML is more beneficial for content that is not human-readable, such as data about a product or service in an eCommerce store, because computers and other devices can easily read it. It also makes it easier to process data from multiple sources through a single API (application programming interface).

HTML's advantage lies in its simplicity: it's easy to learn and understand, and many people already have a basic understanding of HTML thanks to its widespread use on the internet. If you're trying to create a website or app that will be used by people who aren't familiar with markup languages, then HTML will probably be your best bet.

HTML and XML are crucial formats taught in web development courses worldwide. But what is a Web Development course, and how do they work? Web development is a field of computer programming that focuses on creating websites and applications. Web developers use HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other coding formats like XML to build a website's front-end or user interface. They also work with databases to store and retrieve data from their websites. Want to know more about how XML is different from HTML? HTML vs XML. Continue reading as we discuss the in-depth details about the topic and differentiate HTML and XML.

HTML vs XML [Comparison Table]

Here is a detailed comparison table of differences between HTML and XML:

Parameters

HTML 

XML 

Meaning

HTML is a markup language.

XML is a data format.

Abbreviation

HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language.

XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language.

Types of Tags used

HTML uses tags that are enclosed in angle brackets.

XML tags are enclosed in square brackets or curly braces depending on the type of defined element.

Elements

An HTML document can contain any number of headings (

, etc.), sections (), paragraphs (), and lists (,,).

An XML document can contain only one root element and may contain other elements within it (like headings, sections, and paragraphs).

Used for

The structure of an HTML document is determined by its tags and attributes.

There is no structure to an XML document because it doesn't have any tags or attributes it's just a series of nested elements within other elements (called a hierarchy).

Purpose

HTML works well for creating web pages.

 XML can be used for many other things, such as storing data in databases and sharing information with other programs or systems. This makes it easier for programmers to create applications that can understand the information being transferred between different systems.

HTML and XML are two different types of markup languages. While both have pros and cons, let's look at some key differences between HTML and XML.

1. HTML vs XML: Data Formats

HTML and XML are two different data formats. HTML is a markup language that uses tags to mark up what is displayed on a web page. XML is also a markup language, but it uses tags to structure the data, not display it on the screen.

HTML is used when you want to create web pages that contain text, images, and links, among other things. It's also used for creating forms and tables for storing information.

XML is often used for storing data that computers can process. For example, if you have an inventory system that tracks all your products as they come in and go out, this could be stored in XML format so it can be easily read by any program that needs access to it.

2. HTML versus XML: Programming Syntax 

HTML and XML are two different programming languages for creating web pages. HTML is a markup language that uses tags to indicate how the text should be displayed on the screen. For example, if you want to make a text box appear on the screen, you need to surround that text area withtags.

Source: Gastonsanchez.com

XML is an acronym for "extensible markup language." It is a markup language like HTML, but it allows you to add information about how the text should be formatted in addition to just formatting it. For example, if your text box contains some numerical data, you could do something like123. In this case, 123 would be treated as a number not just as text. Want to get a highly-paid job easily? Check out our most in-demand Full-stack Developer course with placement now!

3. HTML vs XML: Structure

HTML and XML are not the same.

To differentiate XML and HTML. Consider an example; an HTML document might look like this:

This is my first paragraph.

XML is a markup language that defines rules for storing data in a computer-readable format. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language and was designed to be readable by humans and machines. Software programs often use it to store information about users, such as their names or addresses. An XML document may look like this in the code format:

Source: Gastonsanchez.com

4. HTML vs XML: Case Sensitive And White Spaces

One major difference between HTML and XML is that XML is case-sensitive while HTML is not. This means that while "camelCase" and "camelcase" will be treated as two different things in XML, they will be the same in HTML.

Another difference between HTML and XML is that HTML treats white space differently than XML does. In HTML, white space doesn't matter. It's just there for readability purposes, and it helps break up content into easily digestible chunks for humans reading it. But in XML, white space matters! Every character counts because it has meaning in the language itself; missing or extra characters could break the entire document's structure.

5. HTML and XML: Data Nature

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is a static language, meaning all of its data is stored in files before being displayed on a web page. The user has no control over this process; thus, HTML is called a "static" markup.

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a dynamic language that allows users to add or remove information from their web page anytime. This means that XML can be viewed in real-time by users who want to see changes made immediately after another user has made them.

6. HTML vs XML: Syntax Arrangement

The XML vs. HTML difference is more than just semantics: the two languages have very different object compatibility. Because HTML is a human-readable language, writing code that can parse HTML files and display them correctly is pretty straightforward. The same can't be said for XML files; they're much harder to parse and display because they use tags with specific meanings instead of plain text, as HTML does.

HTML is not as structured as XML, which stores data. Data is displayed, and interactive web pages with user interaction are made using HTML.

Why would a website use XML?

Why is XML being used?