What the Heck is XML?
A lot of people have heard about XML, but they don't know what it is. XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It facilitates the sharing of structured data across different information systems. Translated into English this means that you can move data from one form to another easily. XML does not contain any formatting information, it only contains raw data. The program that receives the XML gets to decide how the data will be displayed.
If you have a database of information it can be sent via XML to InDesign for a catalog layout, a webpage, a pdf for ebooks, and even reformatted to fit your iphone.
Another question a lot of people ask is "How do I make XML?" or "Where can I get XML". Well, it really isn't that hard. You can just type it out if your really wanted to in any text editor, but most people get it out of a database application like File Maker Pro or Microsoft Excel. In either of those programs you can either export or save your database as XML. Next you can import it into InDesign or another program and decide what you want to do with it.
Keep a look out for another 100% fresh event this April where Jim Conway and I will talk about XML and how to move your print layout to the web.
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