XML is the acronym for Extensible Markup Language, which is a simple, subset of the Standard Generalized Markup Language or SGML.  The reason XML is referred to as “extensible” is that users can add elements they want in a quick, easy, and efficient manner.  When documents are converted into XML, the file can then be shared easily.

Initially, XML was limited but over time, it has evolved.  For instance, various application languages were added to include XHTML.  With so much flexibility and versatility, XML has become a popular choice, now being used with some of the most common packages to include Microsoft Office.  Specific to Word, we wanted to show how XML works.

At first, XML was added to Microsoft as a standalone package, which at that time was called Office Open XML.  The same package the changed, being called OpenXML or OOXML, which means that users can determine the exact XML file formats in documents, presentations, and spreadsheets belonging to MS.  Eventually, a company by the name of Ecma International acquired the language and that is when things really started to change.

In fact, once Ecma got involved, a number of different office components were realized.  Then, XML was incorporated into each of the MS Office components directly.  Although MS Office has long been a great solution, users agree that it was not until XML was supported that it became great, specific to versatility and efficiency.

Just as XML has changed, so has MS Office.  For instance, the 2007 version now allows users to save documents using the XML extension directly from the file save option, something that was not possible before.  This means that files can be converted in a matter of seconds.  Now, while there have been a few challenges associated with saving documents with the XML extension, these are being ironed out.

One of the main advantages to this option is that any documents containing images do not have to go through a separate extraction process.  Even though the result is not extensible as it should be, users will feel that for now, it works to a level that is acceptable.  Obviously, for people who want a professional and robust document, the benefits of using XML are tremendous.

One of the primary advantages is that files are preserved more efficiently and transferred between different systems in a safe way.  Additional benefits of XML with MS Office include better compatibility, a compact solution, higher security, improved integration, and more.  Although for personal purposes this is a great option, it has a more distinct impact for business enterprises.

Now, while XML has a number of great benefits, there are some issues that also need to be addressed.  For example, users find the interactivity difficult.  For example, MS Office is notorious for providing excellent and adequate support but XML is not as good.  Another consideration is that the size of the document is much larger than expected.  Then, there are also some inconsistencies, which is why some people prefer to use MS Word along with an XML converter instead of saving directly from Word.

The good news is that with MS Word and XML working hand-in-hand, there are some great possibilities on the horizon.  Most people are aware that to display RSS feeds, adding content to a website is the way to go.  However, using feed RSS XML remains a little bit confusing.

• The word “feed” simply refers to a specific type of information packaging.  For example, to see a website’s URL, and for feed to bring the content to the user to see, the RSS reader or a script to repackage content is used, again for adding website content.
• For RSS, or Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary is a defined format used for the website content.  Similar to packaging information with other formats such as XHTML or HTML, RSS simply makes it possible for users or scripts to display correctly.
• Then, there is XML, again standing for eXtensible Markup Language, which is derived from Standard Generalized Markup Language or SGML.  Another option is with HTML or HyperText Markup language, the best known of the three.

Now, markup languages such as XML have elements of structure.  This means they are tags that determine what data or content is, its specific purpose, and even elements for presentation.  The result is that XML helps indicate the way in which data or web content is displayed to the user.  When looking at RSS XML, the content is still structured but in this case, it uses structural tags that are based on the RSS version used.

Unlike XML, RSS does not offer the same presentation elements but HTML is often a part of the content.  Another consideration with RSS readers, along with scripts and aggregators is that there is no uniform pertaining to the way in which embedded HTML is handled.  On the positive side, an RSS feed is comprised of various things, each with a title, link to the content source, description, and date.  With an RSS feed, new content is constantly being added, which is why sites that provide readers with news go this route.

Regardless of the program using XML, some of the primary benefits that make it a good overall choice include:

• Easy to use
• Flexibility
• Better user control
• Ease of saving