Understanding Web page Tools Language XML (vi) Outlook

VI. Overview of XML

The emergence of any new technology has its needs background, the birth of XML is after the HTML encountered insurmountable difficulties. In recent years, HTML has encountered problems in many complex web applications, and to solve these problems thoroughly, it is necessary to replace HTML as a writing tool for Web pages with powerful XML. XML facilitates the expression of information and structured organization, which makes data search more efficient; XML can use URL aliases to make Web maintenance more convenient, and to make Web applications more stable; XML can extend the application of the Web to security secrecy by using digital signatures. It can be thought that the future Web writing tool must be XML. and the extensive use of XML will certainly promote the development of the web, thus creating a new era of Web applications.

The application of the web will be more exciting with the use of XML, and the following are several applications of XML that can be foreseen.

(1) Xml/edi Electronic Data Interchange

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange) is the use of electronic technology instead of paper-based means of operation, for the exchange of documents between companies. The rich format language of XML can be used to describe different types of documents, such as letters of credit, loan application forms, insurance policies, claim forms, and various. The data that is sent to the Web by structured XML documents can be encrypted and easily appended with digital signatures. The security secrecy measures of XML can fully show its charm in the application of EDI, and XML has the hope to promote the large-scale application of EDI.

(2) Chemical marker language CML and mathematical marker language math ML

CML (chamical Markup Language) and math ML (mathematical Markup Language) are markup languages used by XML to describe chemical and mathematical formulas. CML can describe the molecular and crystalline structure, the spectral structure of compounds, and so on. And the math ml is the gospel of mathematicians, since the advent of the web, mathematicians can use math ml for the first time to accurately display mathematical formulas on the browser.

3 Open Software description format OSD

Similar to the fate of EDI, the internet distribution of software packages has been in the pilot phase. The OSD (Open Software descriptipon) is a set of tags used in XML to describe a variety of software products, detailing software specifications, usage instructions, and operational platforms.

(4) Channel Definition format CDF

A Channel Definition format CDF (Channel definition Format) is the XML data format used by Microsoft in IE 4.0 browsers to describe the contents and desktop parts of the active channel, indicating the information of the channel and its update. The CDF makes it possible for different platforms to interoperate, enabling web publishers to control push technology. Dedicated push technology will no longer affect the interoperability of different push technologies, so that the same Web content can be obtained from incompatible platforms.

(5) Open Financial Exchange OFX

OFX (Open Financial Exchange) is also a set of tags for XML that describes the business dealings between accounting firms and customers. Using OFX, customers and accounting firms can exchange financial data directly, including documentation such as electronic banking and payment agreements.

To facilitate the use of XML, the consortium has approved the XML Standard 1.0 version, believing in XML 1? 0 of the promulgation will lead to a large number of advanced Web applications, users must start from now to consider the use of XML to write Web pages. But the massive use of XML does not mean that HTML will soon die. The forces of habit are powerful, just as the COBOL language has not exited the stage of history for a long time, and since a large number of existing Web pages are written in HTML, HTML will never be easily withdrawn from use. It can be expected that over the next 5 years, XML will work together with HTML in different areas of the Web application.