1.7 Conclusion
One of the most promising things about XML, and the new breed of tools built on it, is that we can build applications that are driven by a single information model rather than multiple data models accommodating each application function. We can change the behavior and functionality of application programs by changing the underlying XML rather than by changing code. Additionally, we can optimize performance by changing the way information is expressed. Even in environments not fully leveraging XML as a central information model, it is important to design good XML for the sake of readability and maintainability. Building good applications efficiently requires that we learn not only to use XML correctly, but that we learn also to use it well.