Can XML replace HTML? Options

[harryarora]

Guys, help this dummy to know whether XML can be a replacement to HTML? "Preferably not..." - I think now, but technically it might be a wrong choice? Various sites have given the references and tutorials, but they are taking the benefit of doubt, they provide the political points like "XML is this while HTML is not..."
Tell me why one has to study XML?
Break my chaos...

[Brian Chandler]

No, is the simple answer.

XML is a general-purpose syntax for representing structured (hierarchical) information in a byte-stream text file, and as such it is immensely useful for conveying such information over networks.

HTML is a specific language for representing web pages, which is *almost* within the rules for XML. If you want to send a web page you need to send the information specific to web pages (fixed items like the Title, and the HTML > head/body > div/p/etcetc document structure).

XHTML (which might be what you meant) is a modification of HTML to make it fit the rules for XML. This gives it lots of theoretical advantages, but no practical ones, and actually no browser (afaik) _really_ supports it properly.

So if you want to write web pages I recommend you use HTML. The differences are relatively minor in practical terms.

[harryarora]

Thanks a lot Brian.