HTML VS XML
Category: Programming | Posted date: 2021-08-09 00:20:38 | Updated date: 2021-08-09 00:23:03 | Posted by: Admin
If you are a Web Developer or have a career in the IT industry, you probably already heard of a Markup Language. But have you ever explored these markup languages and distinguished them based on their core uses? The most commonly known markups among developers are HTML and XML.
HTML or Hypertext Markup Language is defined as the basis of websites and web apps. It is used to display the data and describe the structure of the web page. HTML is static and can be used to create links for the documents inside. XML, or Extensible Markup Language, unlike HTML is dynamic because it transports data but not to display them. It was first introduced by the World Wide Web Consortium or W3C. It has its defined rules as to why its format can be read by both humans and machines.
Both serve their own purpose, which when compared, have their own shares of advantages and disadvantages that every developer should consider. But first, let’s dig into some of their differences:
HTML is static while XML is dynamic.
HTML is NOT Case Sensitive while XML is Case Sensitive.
HTML has limited tags while XML has extensible tags.
HTML has tags used to display data while XML has tags used to describe data.
HTML closing tags are not necessary while XML closing tags are very much necessary.
ADVANTAGES
HTML is...
- much easier to explore and learn especially for beginners. It has the basics to help build a website which is a great advantage for those who don’t have in- depth knowledge in coding.
- lightweight so it doesn’t take up much space on your device and loads swiftly.
- compatible in all browsers known to mankind. It basically dominates the internet.
- the simplest markup language there is. Complexity is never its character.
- the bestfriend of most programming languages. It is easy to integrate with them.
XML is...
- like its name, XML is completely extendable.
- portable and doesn’t have issues being compatible with other languages especially JAVA.
- Unicode supported. Which is for the majority of developers is a huge advantage.
- easy to read and understand. Like HTML, it is also beginner friendly.
- Can be used by any system as it is a platform-independent language.
DISADVANTAGES
HTML is…
- being static, it can also only create plain pages.
- Even if it is as easy and basic as it looks, lots of coding is still needed to create a simple web page.
- not centralized, meaning the web pages must be edited separately.
- security isn’t very favorable.
XML is…
- Over the top when it comes to wordings. Doesn’t look simple as it should be.
- Easy to read, yes, but compared to HTML, reading XML could end you up in confusion.
- Taking up too much space. As mentioned in the first one, it uses lots of words that can sometimes be found unnecessary. As a result, the file size can get very large.
- Still using redundancy. It can also affect the size of the file as it makes the content lengthy.
Each of these two has to serve their purposes which are for HTML to display the data and XML to describe the data. As long as their core uses are reliable, their differences can be understood. Surely you have read something here that took your interest, the only key to really judge and compare is to actually use them and explore. q
If you are a user of one or both, what do you think can be added to their differences, advantages and disadvantages? Share to us your thoughts!
