Benefits of XML
Much of the fervor over XML is due to the fact that XML provides numerous benefits over our current system of proprietary data formats. Of course, this XML revolution would not have been possible if hardware advances had not given us enough performance to process and translate data into an application-independent format. This is a similar case to the success of an interpreted language such as Java. Hardware advances have given us the luxury of a universal interpreted language that performs on par with compiled languages of the past. Without such hardware advances, these technologies would have languished in the tar pits of inefficiency and immaturity. Both XML and Java require ubiquity to be successful and to progress beyond a good idea and into production systems. The benefits of XML are
Data Independence— Using XML, data is no longer dependent on a specific application for creation, viewing, or editing. In this sense, XML is to data what Java is to applications. Java allows programs to run anywhere. XML allows data to be used by any application. Thus you also see the natural synergy between the two as expressed in the subtitle of this book (Portable Code Meets Portable Data). This data independence fosters application interoperability, more choice for users and improved information sharing in and between organizations.
Improved domain knowledge, terminology, and communication— By undergoing the arduous task of creating a meta-language to describe a particular domain, all organizations in that domain will benefit tremendously from the process of articulating such a language. In one sense, this activity represents humans assisting computers so that they can in turn better serve us. In another sense, computers are forcing us to be more explicit and exact in both the content and meaning of our communication.
One data source, multiple views— By formatting our data in a markup language, we allow computer applications to process and present this data to us in different ways. This separation of model and view has been used successfully in both Smalltalk and the Java Foundation Classes. Also, more insight into a large array of data can be obtained by viewing the data in multiple formats. Last, the processing of data into multiple views is the perfect role for a Java-powered client that receives the XML-formatted data from the server. This is the key idea behind Jon Bosak's prophetic statement, "XML gives Java something to do."
Enables e-commerce transactions— An e-commerce transaction requires instant cooperation between a host of agents involved in a single purchase. Commerce requires the connecting of a consumer with a demand to a supplier with a product. This transaction can involve numerous players: the customer, retail Web site, one or more banks, a distributor, and a supplier. For e-commerce to work efficiently and affordably, all these players need to exchange data among their disparate computer systems in real time. XML is the enabler for this new economic model.
Improved data searches— Since XML addresses the purpose of data and not just the content, we can drastically improve our ability to find relevant information by storing our data on the Web in a rich XML-compliant language or set of languages. Current searches of documents (including HTML) are simply full or partial keyword matches against the content. An intelligent search engine against a body of XML-compliant markup languages would search both the content and the meta-data, which would drastically improve the accuracy of searches.
Increase in relevant and accessible data— The world's databases will able to be encoded in an XML-compliant language and published on the Web. This will open up huge amounts of data to any and all applications interested in processing that data. This increases the opportunities for data mining on a global scale. Consider the vast amounts of information recorded over the holiday season on consumer buying habits via credit-card transactions.
Data access where you want it— Similar to presenting different views of data, a single XML-compliant document can be automatically reformatted for different display devices. Data created and viewed one way on a personal computer can also be accessed, though in a more appropriate condensed format, on a palmtop computer or personal digital assistant. This same technique could also benefit handicapped people by reformatting the data for the specialized devices (current and future) that assist them.
Simpler application development— Applications will no longer need to import or export hundreds of proprietary binary data formats. This makes application development simpler, which will lead to more competition, better focus on the main functionality of a particular application, and potentially lower costs for consumers due to the increased competition.
I hope you agree that the benefits of XML are not only interesting but have the potential to cause a revolution in the storage and processing of the world's data.