XML is a relatively new technology that was developed to reduce the limitations of HTML. This technology is known as XML (eXtensible Markup Language). This document looks at XML, a self-describing language that enables different computer systems to alter data very quickly and easily.

1. © Olivia Moran – XML: Separating Content From Presentation Data
XML: Separating Content
From Presentation Data
By Olivia Moran
www.oliviamoran.me

2. © Olivia Moran – XML: Separating Content From Presentation Data
About The Author
Olivia Moran
Olivia Moran is a leading training specialist who specialises in E-
Learning instructional design and is a certified Moodle expert. She has
been working as a trainer and course developer for 3 years developing
and delivery training courses for traditional classroom, blended
learning and E-learning.
Courses Olivia Moran Has Delivered:
● MOS
● ECDL
● Internet Marketing
● Social Media
● Google [Getting Irish Businesses Online]
● Web Design [FETAC Level 5]
● Adobe Dreamweaver
● Adobe Flash
● Moodle
Specialties:
★Moodle [MCCC Moodle Certified Expert]
★ E Learning Tools/ Technologies [Commercial & Open Source]
★ Microsoft Office Specialist
★ Web Design & Online Content Writer
★ Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash & Photoshop

3. © Olivia Moran – XML: Separating Content From Presentation Data
The Web is an enormous place. It is filled with an endless amount of both useful and
useless information. As one can imagine it is often very difficult to find exactly what you
are looking for. Users nowadays are always rushing and they have little time to spend
browsing the Internet. Their most important asset is their time. As outlined by
McGovern & Norton (2002) “Your readers are in a hurry. The most precious commodity
to them is their time. When they come to your website looking for content, they want to
find it as quickly as possible”. When people eventually locate what they have been
seeking it may be in a format that does not suit them.
Often information is only useful if it is presented in a particular way. The framing of
information and the way in which it is presented can impact greatly on the conclusions,
implications or assumptions that a person draws from reading this information. This in
turn can have serious repercussions when it comes to making good quality decisions. If
information is presented in a certain way it may manipulate a person to pick a solution
that they would not normally choose.
In order to overcome such a serious problem a user is often required to change and alter
the information in such a way to suit their purposes and individual needs. Undertaking
this activity can be a difficult task. Take for example, information found on the Web,
most Web sites are constructed using HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language). This is a
markup language that combines both the content and the data needed to represent this
content in one place. This leads to problems for those wishing to alter the data. The user
becomes bombarded with lots of useless information that they simply do not need to
know. This can lead to information overload, anxiety and time wasting for the user.
Consequently, a new technology was developed to reduce the limitations of HTML. This
technology is known as XML (eXtensible Markup Language).
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a relatively new technology. It was created just
over 10 years ago. Morrison (2002) emphasises the importance of this technology in
terms of the Web and displaying content. He highlights that “XML provides a basic
structure and set of rules to which any markup language must adhere”. In basic terms it
can be viewed as a self-describing language that enables different computer systems to
alter data very quickly and easily.

4. © Olivia Moran – XML: Separating Content From Presentation Data
According to Harold & Means (2004) “XML is a metamarkup language for text
documents. Data are included in XML documents as strings of text. The data surrounded
by text markup that describes the data. XML’s basic unit of data and markup is called an
element”. An element is basically an explanation or a description of a set of data. It has
a simple structure that makes it easy to read.
XML adheres to Web standards. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) lay these down.
The W3C are a body, which constantly govern the Web. For those who follow the
standards it ensures that their sites are implemented using XML in a satisfactory way. As
noted by McGovern & Norton (2002) “A common standard empowers rather than restricts
the writer, editor and reader. A common standard for the publication of the Web site
allows them to focus on what’s really important – the content”. These standards can
change from time to time as XML is still in its infancy and thus is continually developing
and evolving.
XML is used in conjunction with HTML. “One of the main goals of XML is to separate the
content of information from the presentation of it” Morrison (2002). Therefore XML
concentrates only on the content itself and HTML on the presentation of this content to
the users. This separating of content and presentation data is particularly of importance
as it enables computer programs to take information from multiple databases across
various platforms in different locations and merge it and present it in a useful and
meaningful way. XML acts as the common ground needed to achieve this.