Its ability to handle dynamic content makes Extensible Mark-Up Language (XML) the hot new thing with designers. But there's more to be done.

-Aparna Ramalingam, E. Kumar Sharma & Venkatesha Babu

Will XML make html the ex-ml? Not a million-dollar question really, but certainly one which can lead to clues on how to save a fistful of dollars. That can probably explain why more and more designers are slowly shifting to Extensible Mark-up Language or XML.

To begin with, if html is about displaying information, then XML is about describing information. Now, let's get something straight. XML is not a replacement for html; it is a vastly improvised enhancement for content- or database-driven sites. Its flexibility starts right from the authoring: with html, authoring is limited to a few preset tags; XML lets the author create her own tags.

It was this content-savviness that prompted a new start-up, Indlaw.com, to opt for XML. Says Joseph Pookkat, Consulting Editor, Indlaw.com: ''We own proprietary content pertaining to case laws, judgements, and legislations, which run in excess of four million pages. And we'll probably be reaching at least six million pages of content by the year end. XML was the answer for us as it could make these millions of pages accessible, searchable, and transferable in a low cost and effective way.''

Easy upgradation and integration is another benefit that the language offers. Says Kolipaka Ramakrishna, CEO, NetXcell.com, a Hyderabad-based wireless application service provider: ''XML provides a software- and hardware-independent way of sharing data. This makes it much easier to create data that different applications can work with. It also makes it easier to expand or upgrade a system to new operating systems, servers, applications, and new browsers.''

Scaling Knowledge

Fine, so it is database-neutral and platform-independent. But enthusiasts even tout that XML has the potential to double up as a knowledge management solution. Well, not exactly, but with a sleek XML design, one can bring down the maintenance cost of the knowledge management solutions. Scalability is another issue which XML claims to solve.

Points out Sanjay Soni, CTO, Egurucool.com: ''It's great when data is exchanged between different applications.'' Adds Prashant Prakash, CEO, Netkraft Technologies: ''Additional delivery touch points like PDAs and mobiles can be easily incorporated if the data that is being handled or used for processing is in XML format.'' Egurucool is planning to re-launch its site with significant XML elements. It currently uses XML internally to transport data between various applications. And leading developer, Pugmarks Interweb, is evaluating how it can effectively use XML in its intranet.

XML is at its best when the content is dynamic. It primarily comes handy for business solutions. Says Madhu Menon, Head (User Experience Group), Trisoft Systems: ''When there is content syndication, XML is useful. It can bring out multiple output versions.'' For example, the same content can be used on a website as well as on a WAP-phone. XML enables client-side data manipulation without requesting data from the server each time.

All said, the technology is being embraced by end-designers, and these are the people who can make or break any new technology. One major reason for this is the browser-side issue. As of now, Microsoft's Internet Explorer 5.0 and Netscape 6.0 support XML to a good extent, but that's a beginning in need of solid and rapid follow-ups.

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