A year ago developers were just learning that XML stands for eXtensible
Markup Language. Six months ago CIOs started taking an interest in XML and
smart developers started buying "Introduction to XML" books. Now "XML for
Managers" books are becoming popular and it seems like everyone is trying to
figure out what they can do with XML and what infrastructure they'll need to
support it.
Why XML?
There are many reasons to use XML as an enabling data format and many
potential applications have been suggested, from improved Internet searching
to defining configuration files. However, the two uses of XML that appeal
most to both CIOs and developers are the exchange of business data between
applications and customized presentation of data. Exchanging business data
between applications: Application developers need to tie enterprise systems
from different vendors together wit... (more)