xml文档(xml document)使用树形结构表达,以根结点root为开始,逐渐向下发散。它使用一种可自我描述的简单的语法.
一个xml文档分为文件序言(declaration)和文件主体两个大的部分。以figure 1为例,文件中的第一行即是文件序言,它是一个XML 文件必须要声明的东西,而且也必须位于XML 文件的第一行,它主要是告诉XML 解析器如何工作。接下来则是根元素root element(Figure 1里的note), 后面四行则是node的子节点child elements.而最后一行则是根节点完结标识。在xml里,每个element都需要有匹配的结束标记,如<note>与</note>,<to>与</to>,<body>与</body>...
Figure 1:
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下面是一个xml文档,我们可以通过它构建一个xml结构示意图(figure 2). 在figure 2里,bookstore作为根元素,是整个树结构的起始端,所以book元素作为子元素(child),包含在它下面;而<title>,< author>, <year>, <price>,则是作为book元素的子元素,包含在book下面.通过这种方式,形成树形结构。
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Figure 2:
要了解更多,可以访问:http://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_tree.asp