#XML Foundations

If you work primarily with JSON, XML can feel verbose at first. This section covers the essentials you need to be productive — no more, no less — and draws direct comparisons to what you already know.

#What's Here

• XML vs JSON — A side-by-side comparison for developers who think in JSON. What XML does differently, and why.

• Document Structure — Elements, attributes, namespaces, and the document tree. The building blocks everything else depends on.

• The XDM — The XQuery and XPath Data Model. How XML tools see your documents — and why it matters for writing effective queries and transforms.

• Namespaces — The most confusing part of XML, explained practically. When you need them, when you don't, and how to handle them in .NET.

• Working with JSON — Parse, query, transform, and output JSON using XPath, XSLT, and XQuery. The bridge between formats.

• Unicode and .NET Requirements — ICU globalization, Unicode normalization, collation, and platform setup for PhoenixmlDb.