What is XML and Why Should You Use It?

What is XML?

Have you ever heard of XML and wondered what it is and how you could use it in web projects?

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language and has to do with the description and structuring of data. Basically, it's a set of rules for describing a syntax (language structure) that you can use to define data, exchange it with computer programs, and publish it to the Web or elsewhere.

XML is "extensible" because you can shape the way data is defined. Here's an example:

<full-name>
     <first-name>Sabrina</first-name>
     <last-name>Curzi</last-name>
</full-name>

If you know how to write HTML tags, then you probably recognize the tag syntax. In XML, you make up the tag names that describe the data. HTML is different because you use a predefined set of tags. It's also different because HTML is used to describe the presentation of data, not define it like XML does.

So Why Should You Use It?

One of the advantages of using XML is that you can separate the data from the display of it. This means that if you need to add or edit some data, you don't need to also change the code that displays it. The data is organized and structured so that finding information is easy. If you need to hand off your work to someone else, XML makes it easy for that other person to learn the structure of the data.

In my Five-Cities.com website, the Flash-based photo galleries use an XML document to list the photos and captions. In this document the location of the photo file is defined and I can type the caption directly into the document. This makes it very easy and quick to add and edit the contents of the photo gallery since I don't even need to touch the Flash file. Check it out here: www.five-cities.com

If you'd like to learn more about XML, here's a tutorial by the W3Schools: www.w3schools.com/xml/default.asp

Five-Cities.com Site Launch!

After a couple months of planning and production, five-cities.com has been launched! Find out what there is to see and do in the Five Cities area of California's Central Coast. There's lots of pictures, weather and descriptions of activities for each city.

There's also a local business directory where you can find the contact information of many businesses. All local business owners can add their business info for FREE!

Check it out: www.five-cities.com

Help Set the Firefox World Record!

Be a part of Guinness Book world record breaking history! On Tuesday June 17, 2008, join thousands of other web users by downloading Firefox 3 - the newest version of the popular browser. By providing this download, Mozilla is attempting to set the record for the software with the most downloads in a single day.

I use Firefox very often and I find that the Web Developer, IE Tab, and Search Status plugins to be very useful. The Web Developer plugin helps you check for validation, outline page elements like tables and block elements, and view the CSS among many other features. The IE Tab lets you browse the Web in Internet Explorer by clicking on an IE tab in the tab bar (it would be nice to also have a Safari and Opera tab, too). And the Search Status plugin lets you view the Google PageRank, Google Category, Alexa popularity ranking, incoming links, related links and backward links from Google. All of these are very useful if you are concerned about search engine optimization.

Find out more about the world record for downloading Firefox 3 here.

Download Firefox plugins here.

Your Website Design Makes an Impression in the Blink of an Eye

Just how fast do your website visitors make an opinion of your page's design? Researchers say that it takes less than a second - about 1/20th of a second to be more exact - for the brain to make an aesthetic judgement of a web page design. And if visitors like your overall design right off the bat, then they are more likely to stay on your page and read your content.

Whew! Talk about pressure! As a web designer this behavioral information is important to keep in mind. A customer's first impression of a business is often made on the web, so if this impression is negative you may have lost a potential sale. Another study found that a clean, professional look increases the credibility of a site.

If you'd like to read more, here is a link to a related article.