XML - XML Server
What is an XML Server?
An XML Server is a server or software system that stores, processes, and delivers XML data to client applications (such as web browsers or mobile apps) over a network.
Functions of an XML Server:
-
Stores XML Files or Databases
It acts as a central repository for structured XML documents. -
Delivers XML Data to Clients
Responds to requests from clients (via AJAX, APIs, or web services) with XML-formatted data. -
Processes XML with Technologies
Can use tools like XSLT (for transformation), XPath (for querying), or DOM/SAX parsers (for reading). -
Supports Web Services (SOAP/XML-RPC)
Often used in older or enterprise systems where SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is used for communication in XML format.
Example
A weather service might have an XML server that stores forecast data like this:
<forecast>
<city name="Delhi">
<temperature>35</temperature>
<condition>Sunny</condition>
</city>
</forecast>
When a user visits a website or app, the frontend sends a request to the XML server, which responds with this XML data to display.
Benefits of an XML Server:
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Platform-independent data exchange
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Ideal for integration with legacy systems
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Compatible with multiple languages (Java, .NET, PHP, etc.)
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Useful in B2B systems, banking, ERP, and web services
Example in AJAX:
A web page can make an AJAX request to an XML server to retrieve data:
xhr.open("GET", "https://example.com/products.xml", true);