Why is XML a good way to transfer text-based data from one program or tool to another?
-
XML imposes important limitations on the receiving program or tool.
-
The receiving program or tool can use the XML tagging information to determine how to best handle the incoming data
-
XML tags offer an extra level of security.
-
XML tags specify to the receiving program or tool exactly how to format and display the data.
XML's tagging structure allows receiving programs to parse and understand data structure without prior knowledge. The tags describe what the data IS, not how to FORMAT or display it (that's XSLT/CSS's job). XML doesn't impose limitations on receivers or add security - its value is in self-describing, structured data exchange.
XML's descriptive tags let the receiving program interpret the meaning and structure of the data, letting it decide how to parse, validate, or process each element appropriately. This self-describing nature is what makes XML portable between different programs and platforms, unlike formats that dictate fixed display formatting or impose processing limitations.