Put XML to Work

XML's potential in developing Web applications has garnered the lion's share of interest from developers and the computer press. However, you should be aware that XML has a broad possible range of uses that extend far beyond the sphere of the Internet.

For example, XML's broad flexibility offers the promise of ever-more powerful queries and data exchange between applications. This flexibility comes at a price, however: raw performance. Using a structured storage file to exchange data between applications might be fast, but you end up limiting your app's flexibility if parts of it can't read a structured storage file. So, don't simply rush out and convert all your databases to take advantage of XML. Take some time to consider the tradeoffs and whether all parts of your application will benefit from it. That said, here are some interesting things you might use XML to do:

Perform transactions on the Web.
Handle all types of message exchange between applications.
Create metadata dynamically and distribute the information to multiple clients to perform data validation.
Update your Web site dynamically with new information as your data changes.
Package data and pass it to other applications to query it.
Serve as the client/server data-exchange mechanism.
Display data in a client or browser in conjunction with CSS or XSL.
Serve as an import/export mechanism between applications.

This list is by no means all-inclusive; it represents merely the tip of the iceberg, and we're always surprised and impressed by the many creative ways developers make technology work for them.