XML Format Guide

What is XML?

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 designed to store and transport data, with a focus on simplicity, generality, and usability across the Internet. XML is widely used in web services, configuration files, and data exchange between different systems.

When to use XML?

XML is ideal for:

  • Web Services: Implementing SOAP and REST web services with structured data

  • Configuration: Storing application and system configuration data

  • Data Exchange: Transferring structured data between different systems

  • Document Storage: Storing and managing document-based data

Advantages

  • Self-Describing: Data structure is defined within the document itself

  • Schema Support: Can be validated against XML Schema (XSD)

  • Hierarchical: Supports complex nested data structures

  • Wide Support: Extensive tooling and library support across platforms

Limitations

  • Verbose: Larger file size compared to other formats like JSON

  • Complex: More complex to parse and process than simpler formats

  • Processing Overhead: Requires more processing power to parse and validate