Plain Old XML: Difference between revisions

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'''Plain Old XML''' ('''POX''') is a term used to describethe basic [[XML]], sometimes mixed in with other, blendable specifications like [[XML namespace|XML Namespaces]], [[Dublin Core]], [[XInclude]] and [[XLink]]. PeopleThis typically use the term as a contrastcontrasts with complicated, multilayered XML specifications like those for [[Webweb Servicesservice]]s or [[Resource_Description_FrameworkResource Description Framework|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).

:''POX redirects here. For other uses, see [[Pox]].''

'''Plain Old XML''' (POX) is a term used to describe basic [[XML]], sometimes mixed in with other, blendable specifications like [[XML namespace|XML Namespaces]], [[Dublin Core]], [[XInclude]] and [[XLink]]. People typically use the term as a contrast with complicated, multilayered XML specifications like those for [[Web Services]] or [[Resource_Description_Framework|RDF]].

An interesting question is how POX relates to [[XML Schema (W3C)|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.{{Fact|date=January 2009}}

POX is complementary to [[REST]]: REST refers to a communication pattern, while POX refers to an information format style.

The term ''POX'' has an advantage over saying ''[[REST]]'' in that it induces fewer religious debates. Otherwise, POX applications are usually REST-based, using a combination of HTTP GET and POST (although many REST purists would point out that many POX applications do not follow the REST design patterns).

The primary competitors to POX are more strictly defined XML-based information formats such as [[Resource Description Framework|RDF]] and [[SOAP (protocol)|SOAP section 5 encoding]], as well as general non-XML information formats such as [[JSON]] and [[Comma-separated values|CSV]].

==External links==

*[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa395208.aspx REST and POX article] from the Microsoft Developer Network

*[http://microformats.org/wiki/plain-old-xml-considered-harmful Plain Old XML Considered Harmful] from Microformats.org

*[http://static.springsource.org/spring-ws/sites/1.5/apidocs/org/springframework/ws/pox/package-summary.html Support for POX] in the Java Spring Framework

*[https://sourceforge.net/projects/plainxml/ PlainXML on SourceForge.net]

[[Category:XML]]

The primary competitor to POX is [[JSON]]-derivatives that avoid many of the problems of XML altogether.

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