What is the difference between HTML and XML?

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) is primarily designed for displaying content on the web, utilizing predefined tags for structuring text, links, images, and multimedia. In contrast, XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a flexible markup language used for transporting and storing data while allowing users to define their own custom tags, enabling greater versatility for data interchange. While HTML focuses on presentation and browser rendering of information, XML emphasizes the structure of data, ensuring that it can be read and understood across different systems. HTML is not case-sensitive with its tags, whereas XML requires strict adherence to case sensitivity in tag names. Furthermore, HTML has a strict set of tags, while XML's extensibility allows the creation of tailored markup for specific applications or datasets.

Purpose: Web Display vs Data Transport

HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is primarily designed for structuring and displaying content on the web, making it user-friendly and visually appealing for users through styling and layout elements. In contrast, XML, or eXtensible Markup Language, focuses on the transport and storage of data, providing a flexible framework that allows you to define custom tags for better data interchange between systems. While HTML is essential for building and rendering web pages with interactive elements, XML excels in data serialization and is often utilized for configuration files and data exchange in APIs. Understanding these differences aids in choosing the appropriate markup language for your specific projects--whether creating dynamic web pages or managing structured data effectively.

Structure: Loose vs Strict

HTML follows a loose structure, allowing for the omission of certain tags and attributes, which enables browsers to render content even with minor errors. In contrast, XML adheres to a strict structure, requiring adherence to syntax rules, such as properly closed tags and case sensitivity, making it essential for data interchange between systems. While HTML is designed primarily for displaying data on the web, XML focuses on carrying data without being tied to a specific display format, offering flexibility in how the data is processed. Understanding this fundamental difference is crucial for developers when choosing between HTML for web pages and XML for data storage and transmission.

Tags: Predefined vs User-defined

HTML relies on predefined tags, meaning the elements and their behavior are set by the HTML specification, offering a limited set of options for structuring content like headings, paragraphs, and links. In contrast, XML empowers you to create user-defined tags that tailor the markup structure to your specific data needs, allowing for greater flexibility and adaptability. While HTML focuses on presenting content for web browsers, XML emphasizes the management and storage of data, making it suitable for data interchange between systems. This distinction makes HTML ideal for website development, while XML excels in scenarios that require customized data formats.

Flexibility: Less vs More

HTML (HyperText Markup Language) offers less flexibility compared to XML (Extensible Markup Language) due to its predefined tags, which are designed specifically for web content presentation. In contrast, XML allows you to create custom tags that can define any data structure, thus providing more versatility in data representation. While HTML focuses on displaying data in a web browser, XML is geared towards the storage and transport of data, making it ideal for applications that require data interchange. Understanding these differences in flexibility can help you choose the appropriate markup language for your specific needs.

Validation: Optional vs Required

In HTML, the validation of elements is generally more lenient, allowing optional attributes and forgiving unclosed tags, while mandatory elements, like `