The acronym “XML†which when extended stands for Extensible Markup Language can be explained to the average individual as a mark-up language that defines a set of rules for encoding document in a format that is readable both by a human and a machine or computer processors.
Its Basic Terminologies
Markup and Content-an XML document is generally made up of two characters namely, the markup and content. The definition between these two characters can be explained with this simple XML code “<data [if]>â€. The symbols enclosing the letters are known as markups while the characters in between them are called contents.
Tag-tags are types of markups that basically begins an XML phrase, break commands and also end them. Examples such as:
- <section>--represent a start tag an appears at the beginning of a new XML session
- </section>--represent end tags and they cut off XML sessions
- <line-breaks/>--represent empty-element tags.
XML declaration-these are XML elements that tells the reader some important information about the markup and content or characters that are about to be read.
Element-a logical document component which either begins with a start-tag and ends with a matching end-tag or consists only of an empty-element tag
Who Needs XML Document Format and why XML Conversion?
The use of XML formatting and conversion spans several industries due to the ease at which it structures, collects and stores data for future and regular use. This versatile document format is used by the following individual/businesses in the following niches:
- On the World Wide Web-some of the world’s most popular search engines employ the use of XML to create and store algorithms to be used on search platforms. It is also used on the web for indexing important features that relate to site functionality
- E-commerce Websites-virtual shops with vast sales figures and customers generally make use of XML conversion to keep track of invoices and sales registers. The ease at which electronic invoices can be converted to XML, coupled with the ease of sorting and storing information/data in this format makes converting invoices to XML the preferred data entry form for e-commerce shops. This documents can then be used to fill tax forms, create a payment structure for employees and keep accurate records when conducting a trial balance of monthly/yearly expenditures
- Government Financial Institutions-the huge amount of financial data that go through a government’s financial record system per second bellies the need of a flexible invoice format which can be used and read on all systems and technological/computer engines.
- Online merchant service providers-both mega and small merchant account providers like PayPal, Moneybookers etc. use of XML conversion of invoices to track transactions and keep record of the business transactions and money transfer of customers using their payment gateways.
The Benefits of Converting Physical Invoices to XML
The benefits of converting invoices to a format that can be use virtually on any system are numerous, and these benefits also extend to the use of XML file formats. Therefore, outlined below are the advantages of XML and converting invoices to its format:
- Openness and Simplicity-this file format is one that is endorsed and used by every software market leader in the technology industry and the simplicity of its use-while reading or using on a computer-makes it a file format that cannot be ignored
- Its flexibility-it can be used by an individual in the way he or she understands while retaining its functionality, this variety of attributes makes XML the preferred format for the average person.
- It Provides a single-server view for diverse data and data bases-XML documents can be made up of diverse elements that can be distributed across multiple remote servers which makes it the most widely use file format on the world wide web. This coupled with its widespread acceptance makes its use inevitable.
- Cost effectiveness-converting a physical invoice to a virtual file format that can be used on all servers and diverse online platform, reduces the cost and time needed to share information between multiple parties
XML has received wide spread support for industry leaders such as Microsoft, Software, IBM, Sun, Netscape etc. which makes it imperative that you/your business ask this question, do we incorporate XML conversion?
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