This article addresses general aspects of XML, totally focused on its application for data management through Web and Internet-based applications and the advantages of using this language over traditional database managers.
INTRODUCTION
Currently there are many options to control and manage our data, a wide variety of database managers can be found on the market, and they range from the simplest and most user-friendly such as Microsoft Access, to the most robust such as Oracle, SQL Server, Informix, etc.
Until a few years ago, the need to store, manage and control information was reserved for large organizations, but today the subject of data management is very close to most people. From the use of a cell phone, a PDA, a spreadsheet, etc. They invariably lead us to the management of databases. This has revolutionized the way in which information has to be managed, mobility is a high priority in this matter, being able to carry our data from one device to another, from one place to another with speed, security and compatibility; The same applies for companies and industry, increasingly they require Web-based applications that allow them to obtain data from their points of sale, branches, vendors, etc.
In this sense, XML is a very viable option, since it is a Universal language that allows us to represent data on the Internet, and since it is plain text it prevents us from having special programs installed that allow us to recognize the format of the data, which makes it very portable between different platforms, for example: we can use XML documents with Microsoft Access, ASP.Net, Visual Basic, etc.
This article has the sole purpose of explaining in a very general way the characteristics, advantages and most common applications of the language, since its use can be very wide and it is a topic with a lot of fabric to cut from.
But what is XML?
Extensible Markup Language, is a method of entering structured data in a text file.
Because of its XML syntax, it has a certain similarity to HTML, it handles tags and attributes, but unlike HTML, the extensible markup language uses the tags to delimit the data, and the interpretation of the same depends entirely on the application that this reading; but the fact that XML handles data in text files, this does not mean that it is easily read by ordinary people.
Another difference with HTML is that in XML there are more rigorous rules, since when we have a file created with the first one, errors in the syntax are allowed, while in the second one if a tag is missing or the quotation marks are missing to identify a attribute the file is simply unusable.
Advantages and disadvantages.
A great advantage of XML is that it is free since it is not required to acquire an expensive license as with other systems.
It only requires an ASCII text editor to develop applications in XML (eg Notepad), and a viewer with a parser adapted for XML (eg Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later).
XML applications can be many, since it is not only limited to being a language that allows interaction with systems designed for the Web, but it is intended as a universal language that facilitates its use with almost any platform, we can even interact with applications of office like Microsoft Excel.
A point against XML could be the disk space required by the data, since a text file is always considerably larger than a binary one, but today the costs of storage media are quite affordable and more and more we count with devices with capacities that reach commercially up to Terabytes.
XML application and utility
Currently there is an urgent need for companies to have information immediately, so they choose to use Web-based applications that allow obtaining data remotely in a short time and without the need to travel.
One of the sectors that have most exploited this technology are companies focused on sales, since in this way they do not need to wait for the personnel of their branches, points of sale or sellers to take the information to the headquarters or main offices, they simply capture or transmit the data collected through the Internet, which allows them to be obtained almost immediately, and therefore, this results in more efficient and faster decision-making.
Another example of the use of databases in XML documents is that of almost all the applications that we find on the Internet, such as directories, user control, online inventories, product catalogs, etc.
At the end of the day, and like all successful technology, the important thing is the utility and advantages that it generates and that translates into significant savings, as well as improvements in the decision-making of organizations, aspects in which XML definitely has its strength and that allow to visualize a wide development and application of this language for data management via the Web, and we will see if little by little it begins to establish itself as a viable option in local application management.
CONCLUSIONS
The use of XML should be considered as one of the most promising options for the future and I personally think that one of the most important reasons that will determine the large-scale success of XML is the fact that no specific component is required to work, so which gives to some extent a great advantage over other languages. Likewise, it is important to note that not everything is favorable around XML but its advantages are attractive enough to think that we are increasingly seeing its use in the creation of data documents over the internet.
REFERENCES
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Markup_Language
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bases_de_datos_nativas_XML
ict.udlap.mx/people/carlos/is341/bases12.html
