uses for xml in a web site?

don't think i'm alone in asking this...

what are some uses for xml in a site?

aside from an xml db...

how bout tree style navigation???

i'm also aware that xml data can be exchanged between servers... for example:

if you wanted to insert current news headings or the like... you could grab it from say cnn.com........


justin_dago

Tree style navigation is best built on the fly from your db.

For me, xml is very handy, as I am a webmaster for a newspaper company.
I work on a pc, content is prepared on a mac in quark, the website is mason based on linux, with a postgres db.

The site is powered by a third party appication, which obviously won't give you direct access to the db, or to perform sql queries, so xml is the solution to enforce structured data, in terms of taking data from one state to another.

If you know you can use a db, then use it. Don't introduce another layer if you don't have to. Keep things simple.

xml is really nice for rss, or content syndication feeds, like you said with cnn, if you have a need for having the content described, like identifying what the headline is, and checking to see if there is a byline or not.

As you study more, the use of xml becomes more apparent, or you may find that you'll get nothing out of it at all. The key is to keep reading and asking questions.

This is an article which I liked in which the author gives four methods to build Generic Page-Specific Help with XML in ASP and says how XML method is better than the other 3. Not just ASP, but its applicable to PHP and other kind of server side scripting
Check it out. This gives one use of XML.

http://www.devx.com/webdev/articles.../pd062602-1.asp