Key Difference – XML vs XSD
The key difference between XML and XSD is that XML is a markup language that is a flexible method of creating and sharing data over incompatible systems while XSD is used to define the structure and the content of an XML document.
Different organizations use different systems. One challenge is to exchange data between these incompatible systems. XML is a software and hardware independent way of storing data and transferring data. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. XSD stands for XML Schema Definition. XSD is related to XML. An XML document is well-formed if it followed the correct syntax. It is well-formed and valid if the document is validated against XSD. This article discusses the difference between XML and XSD.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is XML
3. What is XSD
4. Relationship Between XML and XSD
5. Side by Side Comparison – XML vs XSD in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What is XML?
XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. As a markup language, it helps to create documents in a format that is readable by humans as well as the computer. It was developed by World Web Consortium (W3C). Unlike in HTML, in XML, the programmer can define his own tags according to the application, but XML is not a replacement for HTML. XML stores data in plain text format and it is platform independent. The main advantage of XML is that it simplifies the data sharing process. Data can be taken from a program and converted into XML. That file can be shared with other program or platform. It makes the data creating and transferring between different incompatible systems easily.
In HTML, the programmer has to change every time the data to display the dynamic data. When using XML, the XML file can store separated and can be read using JavaScript as an external XML file. Then it is easy to update the data content of the web page. The changes made to the HTML file will not affect the data. XML is also used in designing the layout for android applications. It can also be used with databases and configuring frameworks.
Nowadays, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) can also be used as an alternative to XML because its syntax is easier to read and write. But, XML is also widely used in various applications. Generally, XML is used to store and arrange data to customize data handling needs.
What is XSD?
Document Type Definition (DTD) is used to describe XML language precisely. It is used to define the structure of an XML file. It contains a list of legal elements and can use to perform validation. XSD stands for XML Schema Definition. It is used to define the structure and the content of an XML file. XSD has more advantages than DTD. XSD is extensible and simple than DTD. It also supports data types and namespaces. XSD provides more control on the structure than DTD.
XSD can be used to check the validity of structure and the vocabulary of an XML document against the grammatical rules of the appropriate XML language. An XML document should be well-formed and validated. If the XML document has used the XML rules (such as nesting the tags, opening and closing the tags correctly etc.), then that XML document is well-formed. If the document is validated against XSD, then it is a well-formed and a valid XML document. Therefore, it can be used to define the structure and the content of an XML document.
What is the Relationship Between XML and XSD?
- XSD is used to define the structure and the content of an XML document.
What is the Difference Between XML and XSD?
XML vs XSD |
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XML is a markup language that defines a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is both human-readable and machine-readable. | XSD is a description of a type of XML document, expressed in terms of constraints on the structure and content of documents of that type, above and beyond the basic syntactical constraints imposed by the XML itself. |
Stands For | |
XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. | XSD stands for XML Schema Definition. |
Usage | |
XML is used to create and transfer data easily between incompatible systems. | XSD is used to define the structure and the content of an XML document. |
Summary – XML vs XSD
Various organizations use different systems. XML is one method that can be used to transfer data between different programs and platforms. XSD is related to XML. This article discussed the difference between XML and XSD. The difference between XML and XSD is that XML is a markup language that is a flexible method of creating and sharing data over incompatible systems while XSD is used to define the structure and the content of an XML document.
Reference:
1.“XML Overview.”, Tutorials Point, 8 Jan. 2018. Available here
2.“XML Schema.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 14 Mar. 2018. Available here
3.“XML.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2018. Available here
4.“What Is XML – Javatpoint.”, Java T Point . Available here
5.“XML Schema – Javatpoint.” , Java T Point. Available here
Image Courtesy:
1.’Text-xml’By RRZEicons – Own work, (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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