Definition
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a markup language used to encode documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. It facilitates the sharing of structured data across different systems and platforms.
Function
The main function of XML is to store and transport data in a flexible and self-descriptive manner. It allows users to define their own tags, making it suitable for a wide range of applications, such as data interchange between web services, configuration files, and document storage. XML's hierarchical structure enables the representation of complex data relationships, making it a powerful tool for developers and data analysts.
Related Terms
- API: A set of rules and protocols that allows different software applications to communicate with each other, often using formats like XML and JSON.
- JSON: A lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, as well as easy for machines to parse and generate, often used as an alternative to XML.
- Web Application: A software application that runs on a web server and can communicate using XML or JSON for data exchange.
Here is the Wikipedia Article
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