science

Plain Old XML

Plain Old XML is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Plain Old XML rather than just read about it. In short: Plain Old XML (POX) is the basic XML, sometimes mixed in with other, blendable specifications like XML Namespaces, Dublin Core, XInclude and XLink. This contrasts with complicated, multilayered XML specifications like those for web services or RDF.

Key takeaways

Plain Old XML belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Plain Old XML to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Plain Old XML from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Plain Old XML (POX) is the basic XML, sometimes mixed in with other, blendable specifications like XML Namespaces, Dublin Core, XInclude and XLink. This contrasts with complicated, multilayered XML specifications like those for web services or RDF. The term may have been derived from or inspired by the expression plain old telephone service (POTS) and, similarly Plain Old Java Object (POJO). An interesting question is how POX relates to XML Schema. On the one hand, POX is completely compatible with XML Schema. However, many POX users eschew XML Schema to avoid the poor or inconsistent quality of XML Schema-to-Java tools. POX is complementary to REST: REST refers to a communication pattern, while POX refers to an information format style. The primary competitors to POX are more strictly defined XML-based information formats such as RDF and SOAP section 5 encoding, as well as general non-XML information formats such as JSON and CSV.

External links REST and POX article from the Microsoft Developer Network Plain Old XML Considered Harmful from Microformats.org Support for POX in the Java Spring Framework PlainXML on SourceForge.net

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Plain Old XML

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Plain Old XML claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Plain Old XML before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Plain Old XML ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Plain Old XML

In research: Plain Old XML appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Plain Old XML in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Plain Old XML is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Programming language topic stubs, XML, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Plain Old XML outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Plain Old XML in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Plain Old XML means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Plain Old XML out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Plain Old XML in simple terms?

Why does Plain Old XML matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Plain Old XML?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Plain Old XML.