Reasons for Using XML Technology

In the past, web applications and corresponding back office infrastructures have been the domain of HTML, Java, and Visual Basic. But with widespread recognition of XML strengths, we are now entering a new era in programming for the Internet.

XML can be seen as the basis for a fourth generation approach to Internet computing. It invites developers to make specifications at a higher level of abstraction, just like relational theory and SQL did in client/server computing. XML is strongly related to data modeling, relational databases and query languages (XPath, XQL).

The generated web application guides your web site visitors in the process of retrieving, entering, and changing data. Data retrieval benefits from the fact that the XML format does not only contain the actual data (a product name) but also descriptions of that data (whether the search string is a product name or a brand name).

The main reasons for using XML technology are:

·	XML is a language that can describe any kind of information.

For example: application data, presentation (ESI) definitions, and user-defined changes to the default look-and-feel of web pages.

·	XML is in a human-readable format and can be adapted.

·	XML based solutions describe information in a platform-independent way.

·	All relevant vendors in the market really accept it as a standard.

·	XML will be the way to future co-existence and connectivity.