Dear reader, whether you are a seasoned developer or just getting started building websites, you have likely encountered XML and HTML. These markup languages are fundamental building blocks of web content and applications. But what exactly are they, and when should each be used? In this guide, I’ll overview the purpose of each and highlight 5 key differences to consider when deciding whether XML or HTML best fits your needs.
A Brief Background
First, let’s quickly summarize what XML and HTML actually are.
XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It is a flexible, code-sensitive language used for structuring, storing and transporting data between systems. For example, XML facilitates automated workflows sharing structured data across applications.
HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language. It is used to display content visually in web browsers. For example, most website content and pages you visit daily consist of HTML elements.
While XML handles data behind the scenes, HTML presents that data to end users. Now let’s explore 5 main ways they differ.
5 Key Differences Between XML and HTML
Below I’ve highlighted core differences that distinguish XML vs HTML:
| XML | HTML | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Purpose | Transport and store data | Display data publicly |
| 2. Tags | Custom user-defined tags | Pre-defined standard tags |
| 3. Code Sensitivity | Case-sensitive, syntax critical | Fault tolerant, renders despite errors |
| 4. End Tags | Required for clean formats | Some elements allow single tags |
| 5. Complexity | Advanced features, challenging to master | Straightforward, beginner-friendly |
As covered in the table, XML focuses on portable structured data while HTML conversely focuses on presentation within web browsers. HTML tends to be easier to learn, but XML enables more advanced workflows.
These core distinctions dictate ideal use cases for each language.
XML Use Cases and Applications
The flexible yet strict syntax of XML makes it well-suited for:
- Data storage/transfer
- Web services and automation
- Cross-platform data formats
- Digital archiving/metadata
For example, XML facilitates automated legal data workflows sharing case files between courts and agencies. Financial enterprises utilize XML to exchange transaction records between internal databases and partner accounting platforms. Government science grants mandate dataset metadata standards encoded in XML for interoperability.
Gartner surveys show over 70% of organizations leverage XML data workflows integrating legacy systems, cloud services and mobile apps. XML parsing and modeling skills are thus in high demand, considered a $90K+ skill by some estimates.
HTML Use Cases
In contrast, the presentation focus of HTML makes it ideal for:
- Websites/web apps
- Online documents
- Interactive web content
- Browser-based software
- Mobile web apps
For example, popular sites like Amazon, Wikipedia and Facebook rely on HTML to render web content attractively across platforms. HTML powers browser-based games like Call of Duty Mobile boasting 100 million players. Client-side data storage introduced in HTML5 sparks web apps functioning offline.
The simplicity of predefined HTML tags also assists beginner coders in building websites. HTML skills thus continue growing in popularity. Indeed currently lists over 197,000 open HTML developer jobs—a 14.6% annual increase.
Key Takeaways: Applying XML vs HTML
Deciding between XML vs HTML depends primarily on whether you need to transport/store data internally or display content publicly:
-
Use XML to structure, manage and automate data flows exchanged across systems.
-
Use HTML to publish content and build browser-based apps, sites and games.
Of course, advanced web platforms apply both in a complementary fashion. For example, Wikipedia uses XML to manage 3 petabytes of internal encyclopedia data. But they serve engaging interactive web pages via HTML transformed from underlying XML datasets.
Understanding the core capabilities of both languages allows properly leveraging them. I hope this guide clarified when each excels based on your needs dear reader! Let me know if you have any other questions.
