If you’ve found yourself yearning for a document format that makes it easy and flexible to exchange data across the Web, then you should learn about XML, or Extensible Markup Language. . Computer software of all kinds already use XML for data organization and presentation.

It’s easy to determine that it is the flexibility of XML that explains its great appeal to web developers. Due the structure of the markup language, data exchange is possible in many different forms. Data access within XML is easier, as well, than it is with it’s sister markup language, HTML, or Hypertext Markup Language. Consider that XML programming has the capability to display one web page in either a mobile or regular format, depending on the user. Developers then could make one page instead of two. XML’s efficiency is probably becoming more clear!

It isn’t necessary to have extensive prior experience with HTML in order to operate well using XML. The two do go hand-in-hand in many respects, since they are both descendents of SGML, another markup language. The purpose of a markup language is to organize, categorize, or otherwise label content, and the markup describes the organization. Another way of looking at it is that markup contains the content, which is what you are looking at when you see an XML page rendered.

XML was developed when HTML’s great shortcoming became clear. HTML does not allow for new markup elements to be devised by users. This lack of flexibility gave way to the development of XML, which aimed to meet the evolving needs for document and data handling in a web environment.

This is just a primer for understanding what XML is, and why it might be useful for you. For those who wish to make the most of web development, it’s a great idea to put learning XML on your list of things to do.