What is the Difference Between HTML and XML? with Proper Definition and Brief Explanation

The main difference between HTML and XML is that HTML is a hypertext markup language that develops the structure of a web page while XML is an extensible markup language that helps to exchange data between different platforms.

A markup language is a computer language that uses tags to define elements within a document. These languages ​​are easier to read. Some common markup languages ​​are HTML and XML. HTML is a markup language for creating web pages. Defines how a web browser should display page elements such as images, text, hyperlinks, and many more. On the other hand, XML is a platform independent markup language. It is used with databases, web applications, mobile applications and many more. These two languages ​​are not general programming languages ​​as they do not perform any calculations.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is HTML?
     – Definition, Functionality
2. What is XML?
     – Definition, Functionality
3. What is the difference between HTML and XML?
     – Comparison of key differences

Key terms

HTML, Markup Languages, XML

what is html

HTML is a markup language that is used to create the structure of the web page. This language consists of labels. Also, HTML helps to build static web pages. A programmer can easily create an HTML page by using a simple text editor like notepad and running the HTML file in a web browser. Also, there are several HTML versions. The latest version is HTML 5 which has new features like Geolocation, SVG, native audio and video support etc.

An HTML file begins with the Documents Type Declaration. After that, the documents start with and end with tags. Here, the document has mainly two main sections. The main section contains information such as the title and metadata, while the body section contains the visible structure of the page. Also, there are various HTML tags to render elements. There are tags for paragraphs, headings, tables, ordered lists, unordered lists, etc. In general, HTML is the base language for all other web technologies.

what is xml

XML is a language-independent markup language. Many organizations use XML for databases, office programs and applications, mobile applications, etc.

The main advantage of XML is that it allows the exchange of data between different platforms. In other words, the programmer can use XML to take data from a program like Microsoft SQL and convert it to XML and then share it with another program or platform. Typically, XML is stored in a simple text file and processes XML that is capable of interpreting software. In general, XML is a markup language that helps to exchange information between different systems.

Difference between HTML and XML

Definition

HTML is a standard markup language for creating web pages and web applications. XML is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents into a format that is readable by both humans and machines. This is the basic difference between HTML and XML.

It Represents

Also, HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language while XML stands for Extensible Markup Language.

Case Sensitivity

While HTML is not case sensitive, XML is case sensitive. This is an important difference between HTML and XML.

Tags

Tags create another difference between HTML and XML. Namely; HTML has predefined tags. On the other hand, in XML, the programmer defines his own set of tags.

Closing Tags

Also, in HTML, some tags don’t have a closing tag. But, in XML, it is mandatory to close each tag that has been used.

Main Focus

Another difference between HTML and XML is the main focus of each. HTML focuses on displaying data while XML focuses on conveying information.

Use

Furthermore, HTML helps to develop the structure of web pages while XML helps to exchange data between different platforms.

Conclusion

A markup language is a type of language that helps annotate text and embed labels in electronic documents with a precise style, regardless of computer platforms, operating systems, applications, or programs. HTML and XML are two of these languages. The main difference between them is that HTML is a hypertext markup language that helps in developing the structure of a web page while XML is an extensible markup language that helps in exchanging data between different platforms.

Reference:

1. “HTML Overview.” Www.tutorialspoint.com, available here.
2. “XML Overview.” Www.tutorialspoint.com, available here.

Courtesy image:

1. “1695519” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “Text-xml” By RRZEicons – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

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