An Introduction to XMLAn Introduction to XML

Originally Published MDDI April 2002

IVD SUPPLEMENT

XML. The extensible markup language (XML) is the universal format for structured documents and data on the Web. Like HTML, it uses human-readable tags to indicate the purpose of information in the document. Unlike HTML, however, the tags are definable by document designers. For more information on each, check the following Web sites:

XML Schema. The ability of XML to allow definable tags raises a problem. Without some means of specifying what tags are allowed in a document, users could find themselves back in the EDI situation—too much flexibility and too many options. The XML schema provides a means for defining the structure, content, and semantics of XML documents. It is like a recipe for how an XML document should be built—what kind of data goes where in the document.

XML Protocol (SOAP). The XML protocol allows two or more systems to communicate using XM. The XML protocol provides a framework for XML-based messaging systems, which include specifying a message envelope format and a method for data serialization.

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