if i know html, css, fireworks, javascript, php, and im planning to learn ajax, do i really need to learn xml? What actually is it for?

eXtensible markup language is a language that is used to store and mobilize data.
For instance, i can store the entire biodata of someone as an xml markup. In a way
similar to creating small bits of database tables. The imporance of xml lies in the fact
that it is a standard way of communicating data from my platform or language to another.

Let me give you some instances: you may write/get a javascript code that creates some
very nice effect maybe draw some tables with some data and stuffs in it. To make that kind
of script more useful to people, it may have a configuration file and a means of inputing
data into it for processing. The person that created it may have a way of it reading from an
xml / json (Javascript Object Notation) file.
This json/xml file can be generated by a php script from maybe a database and passed into
that javascript, and the entire stuff becomes a dynamic website.

In the situation i just highlighted, php pulls some records from database and passes it to
javascript. Something like a division of labour.

Aside all that, xml is commonly used with ajax when you create chats or those effects that
is able to quickly pull some info from the server and translate it into something useful.

If you are planning to create nice dynamic websites and some of those nice facebook stuffs
you need to know how to use xml.

If you learn how to design facebook applications, you will see that the friendlist of a user
can be returned via xml through the facebook API. Let me stop there. I guess you should
be able to figure out the rest.

But the summary is that, xml is mainly for advance web developers who are looking to step
up there game.



XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language.

XML is designed to transport and store data.

XML is important to know, and very easy to learn.

Thnks man.

Well i wouldnt mind to have a few startup lectures on it so that i can build the rest myself. Do u know how i can get that?

Xml is very vital cuz at times it dangerous when allowing other to touch ur database