Summary
Today, you learned the basics of another popular format for data representation, Extensible Markup Language (XML), by exploring one of the most popular uses of XML—RSS feeds.
In many ways, Extensible Markup Language is the data equivalent of the Java language. It liberates data from the software used to create it and the operating system the software ran on, just as Java can liberate software from a particular operating system.
By using a class library such as the open source XML Object Model (XOM) library, you can easily create and retrieve data from an XML file.
A big advantage to representing data using XML is that you will always be able to get that data back. If you decide to move the data into a relational database or some other form, you can easily retrieve the information. The data being produced as RSS feeds can be mined by software in countless ways, today and in the future.
You also can transform XML into other forms such as HTML through a variety of technology, both in Java and through tools developed in other languages.