For those seeking a document format that makes data exchange on the Web easy, then it’s time to explore XML, or Extensible Markup Language. Software of many varieties are already using XML to optimize data organization and presentation.

It’s easy to determine that it is the flexibility of XML that explains its great appeal to web developers. Due the structure of the markup language, data exchange is possible in many different forms. Additionally, users find that XML makes data access simpler than is possible with HyperText Markup Language, more commonly known as HTML. Consider that XML programming has the capability to display one web page in either a mobile or regular format, depending on the user. In other words, programmers don’t need to make a “mobile” and “regular” site if they don’t want to. The ease and efficiency of XML should be becoming more clear.

It isn’t necessary to have extensive prior experience with HTML in order to operate well using XML. The two can work well hand-in-hand, since they both descend from the same parent language, SGML. Markup languages’ purpose is organize, categorize, or otherwise label content, and the markup itself describes the organization in question. Markup contains content, which is what you see when you look at an XML document.

XML was developed when HTML’s great shortcoming became clear. HTML does not allow for new markup elements to be devised by users. With a need for greater flexibility, XML evolved to meet the needs of document and data handling in a web environment.

This is just a short introduction for those who wonder just what the heck XML is. If you’re an aspiring web developer, XML learning should definitely be on your “to do” list.