XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. It is widely used for storing and transporting data.

What is XML?

  • Data Representation: XML is used to represent structured data. It allows you to define your own tags, which makes it flexible for various types of data representation.
  • Human-readable: XML files are text files, which means they can be easily opened and read in any text editor.
  • Machine-readable: XML files can be parsed and processed by various applications and software.

XML Structure

  • Root Element: Every XML document has a single root element that encloses all the other elements.
  • Elements and Attributes: XML uses tags to define elements. Elements can have attributes, which provide additional information about the element.

XML Example

<note>
  <to>John</to>
  <from>Jane</from>
  <heading>Reminder</heading>
  <body>Don't forget to buy milk.</body>
</note>

XML Parsing

XML parsing is the process of reading and interpreting an XML document. There are various XML parsers available, such as:

  • DOM (Document Object Model)
  • SAX (Simple API for XML)
  • XPath

For more information on XML parsing, you can read our XML Parsing Guide.

XML Diagram

Conclusion

XML is a powerful and flexible language for storing and transporting data. It is widely used in various industries for data representation and integration.

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