XML

XML, or Extensible Markup Language, is a markup language and file format designed for storing and transporting data in a way that is both human-readable and machine-readable. Unlike HTML, which uses predefined tags to format and display content, XML allows users to define their own custom tags to describe the structure and meaning of the data itself, making it self-describing and highly flexible. This hierarchical, text-based format makes it a platform-independent standard for encoding documents and facilitating data exchange between different applications, web services, and computer systems.

  1. Introduction to XML
    1. Definition and Overview
      1. Definition of Extensible Markup Language
        1. Purpose of XML
          1. Data Storage
            1. Data Transportation
              1. Data Exchange
              2. Key Characteristics
                1. Human-readable Format
                  1. Machine-readable Format
                    1. Self-describing Structure
                      1. Extensibility
                        1. Platform Independence
                          1. Language Independence
                            1. Hierarchical Structure
                          2. Comparison with Other Data Formats
                            1. XML vs HTML
                              1. Structural Differences
                                1. Tag Usage
                                  1. Data vs Presentation Focus
                                    1. Validation Requirements
                                    2. XML vs JSON
                                      1. Syntax Comparison
                                        1. Verbosity Differences
                                          1. Data Type Support
                                            1. Performance Considerations
                                              1. Use Case Scenarios
                                              2. XML vs CSV
                                                1. Hierarchical vs Flat Structure
                                                  1. Metadata Support
                                                    1. Complexity Handling
                                                  2. Historical Context
                                                    1. Origins from SGML
                                                      1. Development Timeline
                                                        1. W3C Standardization Process
                                                          1. Major Version History
                                                            1. Industry Adoption Milestones
                                                            2. Advantages and Disadvantages
                                                              1. Advantages
                                                                1. Data Separation from Presentation
                                                                  1. Hierarchical Data Representation
                                                                    1. Standardization Benefits
                                                                      1. Cross-platform Interoperability
                                                                        1. Metadata Support
                                                                          1. Validation Capabilities
                                                                          2. Disadvantages
                                                                            1. Verbosity and File Size
                                                                              1. Processing Overhead
                                                                                1. Complexity for Simple Data
                                                                                  1. Learning Curve

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                                                                              2. XML Syntax and Document Structure