A brief discussion on the benefits of WEB page tool language XML (5)

5. Benefits brought by XML
　(1) More meaningful search
Data can be uniquely identified by XML. Without XML, search software would have to understand how each database is structured. This is virtually impossible because each database describes the data differently. With XML, books can be easily classified in a standard way by author, title, ISBN number, or other criteria. Searching for books becomes very convenient.
　(2) Develop flexible Web application software
Once the data is created, the XML can be sent to other applications, objects, or middle-tier servers for further processing. Or it can be sent to the desktop for viewing in a browser. XML, along with HTML, scripting, and the public object model, provide the necessary technologies for the development of flexible three-tier Web applications.
　(4) Integration of data from different sources
Searching multiple incompatible databases is now virtually impossible. XML enables structured data from different sources to be easily combined. Software resellers can integrate data from back-end databases and other applications on middle-tier servers. The data can then be sent to clients or other servers for further aggregation, processing, and distribution.
　(5) Data obtained from various applications
XML's extensibility and flexibility allow it to describe data in different types of applications, from describing collected Web pages to data records. At the same time, because XML-based data is self-describing, data can be exchanged and processed without having an internal description.
　(6)Local calculation and processing
After the data in XML format is sent to the customer, the customer can use application software to parse the data and edit and process the data. Users can process data in different ways beyond just displaying it. The XML Document Object Model (DOM) allows data to be processed using scripts or otherprogramming languages. Data calculations can be performed without going back to the server. By separating the interface for users to view data and using a simple, flexible and open format, powerful application software can be created for the Web. These software could only be built on high-end databases.
(7) Diverse display of data
After the data is sent to the desktop, it can be displayed in a variety of ways. XML complements HTML by describing resultant data in a simple, open and extensible way, and is widely used to describe user interfaces. HTML describes the appearance of data, while XML describes the data itself. Since the data display is separated from the content, XML-defined data allows specifying different display methods to make the data more reasonable. Local data can be dynamically represented in a manner determined by customer configuration, user selection, or other criteria. CSS and XSL provide a publishing mechanism for displaying data.
　(8) GranularUpdate
Through XML, data can be updated granularly. Whenever a part of the data changes, there is no need to resend the entire structured data. Changed elements must be sent from the server to the client, and the changed data can be displayed without refreshing the entire user interface. Currently, whenever one piece of data changes, the entire page must be rebuilt. This severely limits the server's upgrade performance. XML also allows the addition of other data, such as predicted temperatures. The added information can flow into the existing page without the need for the browser to send a new page.
　(9) Publish data on the Web
Since XML is an open text-based format, it can be transmitted using HTTP like HTML, without requiring changes to the existing network.
(10) Upgradeability
Because XML completely separates the concept of markup from display, processors can embed programmatic descriptions within structured data to indicate how to display the data. This is an incredibly powerful mechanism that minimizes the interaction between the client computer and the user, while reducing the amount of data exchanged by the server and the response time of the browser. In addition, XML enables personal data to be changed only through updated notices, which reduces the workload of the server and greatly enhances the upgrade performance of the server.
　(11) Compressibility
XML compression performs well because the tags used to describe the data structure can be reused. Whether XML data needs to be compressed depends on the application and the amount of data transferred between the server and the client. XML can use the compression standard in HTTP 1.1.
　(12) Open standards
XML is based on standards that are optimized for the Web. Microsoft and other companies and working groups within the W3C are working to ensure the interoperability of XML and to provide support for developers, processors, and users of different systems and browsers, and to further develop XML. standards. XML includes a set of related standards: Extensible Markup Language (XML) standard, which is officially approved by the W3C. This means that the standard is stable and fully usable for web and tool development.
XML namespace standard, which is used to describe the syntax of namespaces and supports XML parsers that can recognize namespaces.
The Document Object Model (DOM) standard provides a standard for scripting structured data so that developers can interact with computers on XML-based data.
Extensible Type Language (XSL) standard, this is a working draft. XSL has two modules - XSL transformation language and XSL formatting object. Transformation languages ​​can be used to transform XML to meet display requirements. Because the two parts of XSL are modules, the transformation language can be used independently to perform multi-purpose transformations, including converting XML into fully structured HTML. CSS can be applied to simply structured XML data, but it cannot display information differently from how it was delivered.
The Extensible Linkage Language (XLL) standard and the XML Pointer Language (XPOINTER) standard are current working drafts. XLL provides links similar to HTML, but with more powerful functions. For example, links can be multi-directional and exist on objects rather than just pages. IE5 does not support XLL natively.
(13) Microsoft product support
Microsoft IE4.0 supports universal XML parser, XML object mode and XML data source object. IE5 and Office2000 support many added XML features and technologies.
　(14)New opportunities
As an industry standard for representing structured data, XML provides many advantages for organizations, software developers, Web sites, and end users. Opportunities are expanding even further as more vertical market data formats are established for use in key markets such as advanced database search, online banking, healthcare, legal affairs, e-commerce and other areas. Special opportunities arise when sites do more to distribute data than just provide data browsing.
Customer service is moving from phone calls and geolocation to Web sites, and will benefit even more from the power of XML. Moreover, since most business applications include the processing and transfer of data, such as purchase orders, invoices, customer information, contracts, drawings, etc., XML will revolutionize end-user behavior on the Internet. Many commercial applications will be possible. In addition, information on Web sites, whether stored in documents or databases, can be identified using an XML-based vocabulary for the intranet. The vocabulary can also help small and medium-sized businesses that need to exchange information between customers and suppliers. An important untapped market is the development of tools that make it easy for end users to build their own Web sites, including tools for generating XML data from database information and existing user interfaces. In addition, standard schemas can be developed to describe data using planners, charts, Excel or other spreadsheet functions. There is a great opportunity to develop published visualization tools for describing XML generated from databases. Tools for viewing XML data can be written in Visual Basic, Java, and C. XML requires powerful new tools for displaying rich, complex XML data in documents. This can be achieved by mapping user-friendly display layers on top of layered, dynamically changing data. The layout diagram of XML data includes pivot tables, etc.
　Web sites can provide stock quotes, new articles or real-time trading data. By establishing rules for aging information, information overload can be avoided. There is a huge opportunity to develop XML-based tools that users can use to write rules and server and client software can use to implement them. You can script a standard object schema to filter incoming information, check stored information, create output information, enter databases, etc.                                                                                              

The above is the detailed content of A brief discussion on the benefits of WEB page tool language XML (5). For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!