XHTML and XML are markup languages that use tags to structure data. XML is a metalanguage used as a template for other languages, while XHTML combines XML syntax rules with HTML tags. Both are used online, but XML has a wider range of applications, including databases and web feeds.
eXtensible HyperText Markup Language (XHTML) and eXtensible Markup Language (XML) are two types of markup languages that use tags to mark up and describe data in a structured format. XML consists primarily of rules governing tag syntax and is often used as a template for other markup languages. XHTML is a combination of the syntax rules of XML and the tags of the older HyperText Markup Language (HTML) used to create web documents. Both XHTML and XML are used on the web, but the former is mostly limited to web pages, while XML and XML-based languages have a wider variety of purposes, including databases, web feeds, and podcasts.
Markup languages like XHTML and XML create structured documents or documents that include basic content and some additional information describing the role or purpose of the basic content. The concept is similar to that of a college professor passing information to students through copy-editing symbols; documents are “marked” with structural information that identifies the function of some content. Most modern markup languages use tags enclosed in angle brackets.
XML is a special type of markup language called a metalanguage that can serve as a model for other languages. Instead of creating a list of predefined tags and attaching meaning to them, the creators of this unique core language have focused only on establishing syntax rules. Companies, individuals, groups and industries can then attach their own meanings to XML documents and create unique ways of interpreting those meanings. This has allowed XML to serve as the foundation for hundreds of markup languages, including one dedicated to mathematical formulae and another developed to store archaeological research data.
One of the markup languages based on this metalanguage model is XHTML, a revised version of HTML. XHTML and XML share a similar set of rules governing how tags can be used, but the former uses predefined tags to convey structural information to web browsers; a
tag denotes a paragraph, while an
It is common to find both XHTML and XML being used online, but they are generally used for different purposes. The former is often used to code web pages, while the latter is used in the back-end of complex databases and web applications. Closer to the end user, XML-based languages like Atom and Really Simple Syndication (RSS) allow for web feeds and podcasts. The versatility of XML has also led to its use in offline environments, where it can be found in preference files and Office document file formats.
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