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The XML application is what you, the programmer, make. XML applications typically
process information encased in XML documents, but there is virtually no limit to what you
can do with an application. Companies like Microsoft and DataChannel are betting that
you, as a programmer, will be creating XML applications using their XML parser (this
makes sense; writing a comprehensive parser is tedious and expensive in terms of
manpower). We’re not going to talk much about how to make an application in this chapter.
Fear not,
Parts II
and
III
of this book give you more than enough information about how to
create your own hard-core superduper XML applications.
The XML Standard—Design Goals
The XML standard is an
open standard.
This means that no single company creates or
owns it. The XML standard is a project of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) that is
overseen by W3C’s XML Working Group, which began work in 1996. You can get a copy
of the latest official specifications from
www.w3c.com/xml
. Although the actual
specifications document makes for some pretty heavy reading, the objectives of the
standards are (as one would hope) very clear. They are reproduced here with
permission:
1.
XML shall be straightforwardly usable over the Internet.
2.
XML shall support a wide variety of applications.
3.
XML shall be compatible with SGML.
4.
It shall be easy to write programs which process XML documents.
5.
The number of optional features in XML is to be kept to the absolute minimum, ideally
zero.
6.
XML documents should be human-legible and reasonably clear.
7.
The XML design should be prepared quickly.
8.
The design of XML shall be formal and concise.
9.
XML documents shall be easy to create.
10.
Terseness in XML markup is of minimal importance.
By and large, the committee has been pretty true to its goals. We take our hats off to all the
working group members. It is not easy to make something that is useful
and
relatively easy
to work with.
