XML UPGRADE


We will be upgrading our website soon - introducing online bookings and payments, and joining you on Facebook and Twitter. These changes, and the increasing use of mobile devices, have prompted us to upgrade our site to use XML.

XML explained


Currently, HTML (HyperText Markup Language) uses pre-defined markup code to describe how website data is presented. Browsers interpret this code to display the pages as we see them. To change the look of a page, the HTML needs to be recoded, requiring lots of work. HTML coding also makes it difficult to search for information in the data, or to see relationships between pieces of data.

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a markup language protocol that describes the data rather than the presentation. Instead of using predefined tags, XML tags are defined separately in a DTD (Document Type Definition) (Morris, 2013).

Advantages


XML tags are defined for our unique needs, rather than relying on the limitations of pre-defined tags, or expecting browsers to include the functionality of those tags (Sol, n.d.).

Data is stored in separate XML files, so future upgrades will be streamlined, avoiding the need for extensive HTML editing, and the data can be used easily in other applications (W3C, n.d.).

The unique XML tags add meaningful descriptions to data, making it easy and efficient for people and search engines to search data. XML sitemaps accelerate accurate search engine indexing (Kocher, 2012).

XML assists in transporting data between computers, and supports consistent web access on multiple devices, including mobile phones and screen readers, increasing the site’s accessibility (Morris, 2013; W3C, n.d.).

XML data is stored in text format, so future upgrades of hardware, software, applications or browsers will be easier, and data will not be lost (W3C, n.d.).

Disadvantages


Unlike HTML, XML is very precise, so if the syntax is not exactly right, the webpages will not be displayed.

Implementation


Implementing these changes requires skill and time, so we will be appointing a web developer to work closely with us to create the XML documents, DTD file and test our upgraded site.

The XML data can be extracted easily for sitemaps, price listing and course information. XML can be implemented progressively across the site (Costello, Canestraro, Werthmuller, Gil-Garcia & Baker, 2006). We will concentrate on the vital course information first, and plan to convert the entire site by December 2013.

References


Costello, J., Canestraro, D.S., Werthmuller, D., Gil-Garcia, J.R., & Baker, A. (2006). Using XML for web site management: Getting started guide. In Center for Technology in Government, University at Albany. Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://www.ctg.albany.edu/publications/guides/xml_getting_started

Kocher, J. (2012). SEO: Understanding XML sitemaps. In Practical ecommerce. Retrieved April 24, 2013, from http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/3623-SEO-Understanding-XML-Sitemaps

Morris, T.A. (2013). Web development and design foundations with HTML5 (6th ed.). New York: Pearson.

Sol, S. (n.d.). XML advantages & disadvantages. In The UK Web Design Company. Retrieved May 2, 2013, from http://www.theukwebdesigncompany.com/articles/xml-advantages-disadvantages.php

W3C. (n.d.). How can XML be used? In w3schools.com. Retrieved May 1, 2013, from http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_usedfor.asp


Go to top

Home  Courses  About us  Tips & Resources  Accessibility & Security  XML Upgrade  Contact us