Linking XML Documents Together

Linking XML Documents Together

The clear benefit and raison d’étre of HTML is that documents can be linked together to form an aggregate system of information and value. XML has a similar value proposition when taking into account the XLink and XPointer specifications. These specifications allow users to link related XML documents together in a structured manner.

XLink provides XML document links that express a relationship between XML docu-ments and resources. A resource is any location within an XML document, such as an element, document tree, or any portion of content that can be addressed in a link. The nature of the link relationship between resources is determined by applications that process the link within its context.

XPointers provide a means to locate these resources, without explicitly requiring that the resource be identified with an ID attribute. Links are not identified by name because XML does not have a fixed set of elements. XML processors instead use a specific attribute to identify links. Additional attributes provide further information to the XML processor as well as provide a facility to avoid link name collisions and a means to con-trol linking behavior.