Thanks for the information.


>Dean --
>
> Some specific examples to flesh out what others have talked about.
>
> XML is becoming a "native file format" for a lot of vendors. MS has implemented this for Word and Excel, pretty well in 2000, better in 2003 -- as XML schemas can be associated with each of these docs. Adobe with Acrobat, and others are following suit.
>
>That means, if you have the schema they're working with, you can generate XML in a format that the applications will be able to interpret natively. Tools such as schemas and XSLT provide mechanisms to translate from one format to another. Because schemas and XSLT are themselves XML based, XML provides a good foundation.
>
>The next version of SQL server will generate data in an XML format natively.
>
>The latest version of HTML is known as XHTML, as HTML itself has been tightened up and fit into an XML compliant format.
>
>MS' BizTalk server -- for business to business communication -- uses XML as its basic format for data manipulation.
>
>With the kind of tools that are developing, I think that XML will become one of the dominant forms of data interchange in the mid-term.
>
> Jay
>
>
>>Thanks.
>>I guess it is something worth knowing.
>>But I already know HTML pretty well. I wonder if I need to know XML as well.
>>
>>
>>>>Hello again in my quest to learn new practical stuff, I'm coming accross alot of XML.
>>>>
>>>>1) What is it exactly?
>>>>2) Is is any where close to HTML?
>>>>
>>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>
>>>HTML is about presentation. Fixed tags that define how a program (e.g. a Browser) would interpret those tags to display fonts, sizes, colors, pictures, links, etc.
>>>
>>>XML is about data. You create your own tags, in accordance to certain rules, to define and transport data between two dissimilar systems, where XML acts as a common language that both understand. There are several XML-based "dialects" that deal with specific features or specific industries and types of data. Then there are special languages to manipulate XML, like XSLT, XPath, XQuery, etc.
>>>
>>>There is plenty of material online that you can read. Just search for XML, XSLT, etc.
>>>
>>>VFP has several capabilities with regard to creating and consuming XML, including Web Services (which are XML-based).
>>>
>>>HTH