What are XML files? Things to know about XML files

What is XML? What do XML files mean and how are they commonly used? Here are things to know about XML files.

A file has the extension .xml is a file in the Extensible Markup Language (XML) format. This is essentially just a plain text file, using custom tags to describe the structure and other characteristics of the document. In this article, let’s find out What is an XML file?how to open XML files and uses when using this file format.

What is XML?

XML is a markup language that defines syntax for encoding documents that can be read by both humans and computers. It uses tags to define document structure, as well as how documents are stored and transmitted.

The easiest way to understand it is to compare XML with another markup language people are probably familiar with – HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), used to encode web pages. HTML uses a set of predefined tags to describe the format of content, for example:

This is how you make bold text and this is how you make italic text

The big difference with XML is extensibility. XML does not have a fixed set of tags like HTML. Instead, users can create their own tags to describe content, creating an unlimited and self-defined set of symbols.

Simply put, HTML focuses on presenting content, while XML is a specialized language for describing and storing data.

What are XML files used for?

XML is often used as the basis for many other document formats, for example:

• RSS and ATOM: used in news reading applications to process data feeds.
• Microsoft .NET: uses XML for configuration files.
• Microsoft Office from version 2007 onwards: uses XML as the basis for document structure. The letter “X” in .DOCX, .XLSX, .PPTX format represents XML.
• Small database
• User interface on Android
• Application configuration file

Therefore, having an XML file does not necessarily indicate what software the user will use to open it. Normally, people don’t need to worry about that, unless they are the ones designing and creating XML files.

How to open XML files

Users have many ways to open XML files:

• Text editor
• Web browser
• Website specializing in XML processing (viewing, editing, converting)
• Application-specific software
• Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
• Microsoft Excel

Depending on the purpose of use, people choose the appropriate tool. If you only need one tool, use a plain text editor.

If you regularly work with XML, you should use a text editor to open this file. Because XML is essentially a plain text file, people can open it with any text editor. However, many default editors, such as Notepad on Windows, will not display XML in the correct format.

To read and work more effectively, people should use advanced tools such as:

Below is the same XML file opened with VS Code, much easier to see than Notepad.

Compare XML with other languages

XML and JSON

XML and JSON are both formats used to store and exchange data, but they have different characteristics and use cases. XML has a fairly verbose structure, supports a variety of data types and validation features, making it suitable for complex documents. Meanwhile, JSON (short for JavaScript Object Notation) is lighter and easier to parse, making it an ideal choice for web APIs as well as data exchange between servers and web applications.

XML and HTML

XML and HTML are both markup languages ​​but serve different purposes. XML is used to represent and store data, allowing users to define their own tags. In contrast, HTML is used to display data in a web browser with a fixed set of tags. While XML is more flexible, HTML is specialized for presenting content on the web.