Introduction to
Web Services:
HTML and XML
Web services are a fundamental part of
how devices communicate over the
internet, enabling applications to share
data and functionality seamlessly.
Understanding the building blocks like
HTML and XML is essential for anyone
diving into web technology.
This presentation will guide you through
what web services are, why HTML (Hyper
Text Markup Language) and XML
(Extensible Markup Language) matter, and
how they fit into modern web
development practices.
What Are Web
Services?
Definition: Web services are software systems
designed to support interoperable machine-to-machine
interaction over a network.
Functionality:
Allow different applications to communicate over the
web (e.g., Java to .NET).
Use standardized protocols like HTTP, SOAP, REST,
etc.
Characteristics:
Platform-independent
Language-independent
Based on open standards (XML, HTTP, etc.)
World Wide Web (WWW)
Definition: A global system of interconnected documents and other resources, linked by
hyperlinks and URLs.
Key Components:
Web Browsers: Chrome, Firefox, Safari
Web Servers: Apache, Nginx
Protocols: HTTP, HTTPS
Resources: HTML pages, images, videos, data files
How It Works:
User enters a URL in the browser
Browser sends an HTTP request to the server
Server returns a response (HTML, etc.)
Browser renders the page
What is
HTML?
Definition
HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language, the core language used
to create web pages.
Purpose
It structures content and defines the basic layout of web pages that
users interact with.
Examples
Tags such as <html>, <head>, <body>
Formatting elements like <p> and <h1>
Evolution
HTML5 is the current standard, bringing new features for multimedia
and interactivity.
HTML Structure Explained
Document Head and Body
Declaration
The <!DOCTYPE html> declaration The <head> contains metadata,
defines the document type and titles, and links to styles or scripts
ensures browsers render the page that control page behavior.
correctly.
The <html> tag is the root The <body> holds all visible
element enclosing all other content that users see and
content. interact with on the page.
Using semantic HTML tags properly enhances accessibility and SEO, making websites
easier to navigate
and find.
Features of HTML
1. Easy to learn and implement.
2. Platform-independent – works on any
OS/browser.
3. Supports multimedia embedding (images, videos,
audio).
4. Enables linking documents and websites using
hyperlinks.
5. Can be styled with CSS and made dynamic with
JavaScript.
6. Forms the basis for web content and UI structure.
Introduction
to XML
Definition
XML means eXtensible Markup Language used to store
and transport data.
Data Focus
Unlike HTML which focuses on presentation, XML is
designed to describe data itself.
Structure
It is self-describing and hierarchical with nested elements
for organizing complex data.
Comparison
HTML presents data visually; XML carries data for
processing by other applications.
XML Example: Data
Representation
Use Case: Product Use Case: Configuration
Catalog Settings
XML can list products with elements like XML stores system or application settings in a
<product>, <name>, <price>, organizing details hierarchical format, making changes simpler and
clearly. safer.
This helps systems easily exchange product info Its readability benefits both developers and
between e-commerce platforms. machines.
XML’s dual readability and machine-friendly design make it indispensable for data interchange and
storage in many technical fields.
Features of XML
1. Human-readable and machine-
readable.
2. Allows definition of custom tags and
structures.
3. Supports complex data hierarchies.
4. Enables data transport across
platforms.
5. Used in many industries (finance,
healthcare, etc.)
6. Plays a key role in older web services
(e.g., SOAP).
HTML vs XML –
Key Differences
conclusion
Web Services enable communication between applications over the internet using open
standards.
WWW (World Wide Web) is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via
web browsers.
HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) is used to structure, design, and display
content on the web.
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is used for defining, storing, and exchanging
data in a structured and readable format.
Web services use XML to encode data and transmit it between client and server
(especially in SOAP-based systems).
Web browsers render HTML, but require styles (CSS) and scripts (JavaScript) for
interactivity and aesthetics.
HTML documents are static unless enhanced by server-side or client-side scripting.
XML supports metadata, validation (via DTD/XSD), and is language-agnostic.
Together, WWW, HTML, and XML laid the groundwork for the interactive, data-
driven web applications we use today.
Presented by:
Aryan Singh
Janvee
Reaves
