XML vs HTML: What's the Difference?

XML and HTML are both markup languages used to create web pages. They have different purposes, and you will want to use one or the other depending on what you are trying to create. This blog post will discuss the differences between XML and HTML and when it is appropriate to use each one.

What is HTML?

Even if you have never written a line of code, you have probably heard of HTML. HTML is short for Hypertext Markup Language, and it is the most fundamental building block of the web. HTML is used to create structure on a web page - it tells the browser where to put each piece of content on the page.

HTML consists of a series of elements, which are represented by tags. For example, the tag is used to create a heading on a web page, while the tag is used to create a paragraph. Tags always come in pairs - an opening tag (with the element) and a closing tag (with the /element). The text that appears between the opening and closing tags is the content of that element.

You can see an example of HTML code below:

<h>This is a heading</h>
<p>This is a paragraph.</p>

In the example above, <h> is the opening tag for a heading element, while </h> is the closing tag. The text This is a heading is the element's content.

Similarly, <p> is the opening tag for a paragraph element, and </p> is the closing tag. The text This is a paragraph is the element's content that will appear on the web page.

When do you use HTML?

Now that you know a little bit about HTML, you might be wondering when you would use it. The answer is - anytime you want to create a web page! If you are building a website from scratch or even just creating a single web page, HTML is the language you will use to do it.

Like CSS, HTML is the backbone of nearly 100% of websites. Because it is so ubiquitous, front-end web developers need to have a strong understanding of HTML. Even if they are using a different language to create the structure of their web pages (like Jade or HAML), they will still need to be able to read and write HTML.

HTML integrates with backend languages like PHP, Ruby on Rails, and Node.js to create dynamic web pages - that is, pages that can change based on user input or other conditions. For a backend language to communicate with HTML, it needs to be able to generate HTML code.

HTML tags

As we mentioned before, HTML consists of a series of elements, each of which is represented by a tag. There are many different kinds of HTML tags, each with its own purpose.

Some common HTML tags include:

• <b> for bold text
• <i> for italicized text
• <a> for links
• <img> for images
• <div> for sections of content
• <span> for small sections of content

You can here see a full list of HTML tags.

Features of HTML

Now that we have discussed what HTML is and when you would use it let's talk about some of its features.

1) HTML is easy to learn and use.

HTML is not a programming language, so it is simpler than languages like Java or Python. Even if you have never written a line of code before, you should be able to pick up the basics of HTML relatively easily.

You can find many resources for learning HTML online, including tutorials, cheatsheets, and references. Once you have learned the basics of HTML, you can start adding more complex features to your web pages using CSS and JavaScript.

CSS is used for styling and for adding colors, fonts, and other visual elements to your web page. It integrates with HTML to give your web pages more personality and style.

JavaScript is used for adding interactivity to your web pages. For example, you can use JavaScript to create drop-down menus or display a pop-up message when a user clicks on a button.

Both CSS and JavaScript are programming languages, so they are more complex than HTML. However, you can still use them even if you don't have any previous experience with coding.

2) HTML is flexible.

HTML is a very versatile language, which means it can be used for many different purposes. For example, you can use HTML to create:

• static web pages
• dynamic web pages
• web applications
• mobile applications

You can also use HTML to structure data for storage or exchange with other applications.

Additionally, it integrates with many other platforms, including CSS, XML, and JavaScript. This allows you to create web pages that are more complex and interesting than if you were just using HTML alone.

3) All major browsers support HTML.

Since HTML is such a popular language, it is supported by all major browsers, including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Safari. This means you can create web pages that can be viewed on any browser.

HTML is also supported by various devices, from desktop computers to mobile phones.

HTML is a straightforward language, which is one of the reasons why it is so popular. It is easy to learn, and you can create a basic web page with just a few elements. However, HTML is limited in its capabilities - it cannot be used to store structured data or transport that data elsewhere. That is where XML comes in.

What is XML?

XML is short for Extensible Markup Language, and it was designed to address the limitations of HTML. XML is a markup language - just like HTML - which means it is used to create structure on a web page. However, XML is much more flexible than HTML (and much different).

XML tags can be anything you want - there are no predefined tags like in HTML. XML does have tags, but you define each of them. This allows you to create your own tags, making XML more suitable for storing data. This is what makes the language "extensible."

For example, you could use XML to store a list of products, with each product represented by a tag. Each product tag would contain information about the product, such as its name, price, and description.

Unlike HTML, XML does not do any work on its own. For an XML document to be displayed, it must be converted into another format, such as HTML.

This conversion is usually done by a program called an XML parser. An XML parser is a software library that reads XML documents and converts them into another format, such as HTML. Once converted, they can then be displayed in a web browser.

When do you use XML?

XML is primarily used for storing and transporting data. Developers also use XML to create websites, but unlike HTML, this language does not display the data to your visitors. It is often used in conjunction with other languages, such as Java and SQL, to create smooth-running web applications.

XML's primary purpose is to move information from one place to another. How you decide to use it is entirely up to you and your chosen technologies. Typically, you'll be moving data from one server or application to your database.

Since XML tags are also user-defined, the type of data you store is also entirely up to you. Typically, people use XML to store structured data such as:

• invoices
• product information
• customer information
• order information
• catalogs
• books

XML can also be used to create web pages as long as it has XSLT or another styling method to transform it. When used with XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations), XML can be used to create web pages that look similar to HTML. However, this method is not anywhere near as popular as using HTML to create web pages.

XML tags

As we mentioned before, XML tags are user-defined. This means you can create any tag you want, and each tag can contain any type of data. For example, you could create a product tag that contains information about the product, such as its name, price, and description.

XML tags also have many more rules than HTML tags. First, they must be properly nested. If you have an opening tag, you must also have a closing tag.

Additionally, XML is case-sensitive, which means that the tags must be written in all lowercase letters. If you try to use uppercase letters, the XML parser will not be able to read your document.

Finally, each XML tag must have a unique name. This is so the parser can easily identify each tag and its corresponding data.

Here is an example of properly nested XML tags:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!DOCTYPE product SYSTEM "products.dtd">
<product>
<name>Apple</name>
<price>5.99</price>
<description>A delicious apple.</description>
</product>

In this instance, the product tag is the root element, and the name, price, and description tags are all child elements.

An XML document can only have one root element, but that element can have any number of child elements.

This example also shows how you can use a DOCTYPE declaration to reference a Document Type Definition (DTD). A DTD is a file that contains the rules for how an XML document should be structured.

While a DTD is not required, it can help ensure that your XML documents are well-formed.

Features of XML

Here are some of the main features of XML:

1) XML is plaftorm-agnostic.

XML can be used on any computer, regardless of the operating system. It can also be plugged into any application that supports it, regardless of the programming language used to create it.

This is one of the main reasons XML is so popular - it can be used with any technology.

2) XML is self-describing and human-readable.

XML documents contain all the information that is needed to understand them. This includes the structure of the document as well as the data. This is in contrast to other formats, such as CSV (comma separated values), which require additional information to be provided to be interpreted correctly.

XML is also human-readable, which means it can be read and edited by humans. This contrasts with binary formats, which can only be read and edited by computers.

3) XML is user-defined.

Unlike HTML, which requires you to use predefined tags, XML allows you to create your own tags. This makes it much more suited for storing data. For example, you could create a tag for "products" and then store information about each product in that tag.

This flexibility is one of the main reasons why XML is so popular.

XML vs HTML: Similarities and differences

Now that we've covered the basics of XML let's compare it to HTML. The two have some similarities, but they are mostly used for different purposes.

First, let's take a look at some of the similarities:

• Both XML and HTML can be used to store data.
• Both XML and HTML are human-readable.
• Computers can read both XML and HTML.

However, there are lots of differences between the two. HTML is specifically designed to display data on a web page, while XML is designed to store data. This means that HTML has a predefined set of tags, while XML does not.

HTML is also static, meaning that the user cannot change it. On the other hand, XML is dynamic, which means that the user can modify it. Despite this, XML does have numerous syntax rules that must be followed for the document to be well-formed. The browser will automatically correct incorrectly formatted HTML, but the server cannot parse incorrect XML code.

How XML and HTML work together

Since XML is merely a way of storing data, it cannot be displayed on a web page by itself. In order for XML data to be displayed, it must first be converted into HTML.

This can be done manually, but numerous programs will do it automatically. Once the XML data is converted into HTML, it can be displayed in a web browser. If you want to create a responsive website, this is a necessity.

For example, if you have data that updates over time, like sales metrics or stock prices, you could use XML to store that data. When a user visits your website, the XML data is converted into HTML and displayed on the page.

With just HTML, you must manually update the web page every time the data changes. This would be very time-consuming and error-prone. However, with XML, the data will automatically separate from the presentation. This makes it much easier to manage and update your website.

Final thoughts

We hope this article has helped you understand the difference between XML and HTML. As you can see, they are two very different languages used for different purposes.

While HTML is a basic language that is easy to learn, XML is much more flexible and powerful. If you're looking to store data on a website, XML is the way to go.