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Quizzes > Computers & Technology > Programming & Software

Test Your XML Knowledge: Which Statements About XML Are True?

Ready to find out which of these statements is true about XML? Start the basic XML quiz now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art quiz design with XML tags document and question mark on sky blue background promoting Basic XML Review Quiz

This XML quiz helps you figure out which statements are true while you practice tags, syntax, and data structure. It's a fast way to spot gaps before a test or project. When you're done, try an HTML tags warm‑up or check out a free HTML certificate .

Which of the following best describes XML's sensitivity?
XML is file-system sensitive
XML is case-sensitive
XML is white-space sensitive
XML is key-sensitive
XML is case-sensitive so element and attribute names must match exactly in case. For example, and are considered different elements. This strict parsing rule helps avoid ambiguity in document structure. .
An XML document must contain which of the following?
No root element
Exactly one root element
Exactly two root elements
More than one root element
A well-formed XML document must have exactly one root (or document) element that contains all other elements. Without a single root, the document is not considered well-formed. This rule is mandated by the XML specification to ensure a clear hierarchy. .
In XML, start-tags and end-tags must do what?
End-tags are optional for all elements
Match exactly in name and case
Differ by name to avoid conflicts
Only start-tags are mandatory
Every start-tag in an XML document must have a corresponding end-tag with the exact same name and case. This ensures proper nesting and a well-formed structure. Empty elements can use the shorthand syntax, but still obey matching rules. .
What does XML stand for?
Example Markup Language
Extensible Markup Language
eXtremely Machine Language
Executable Markup Language
XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It is designed to store and transport data, allowing users to define their own tags. The term 'extensible' refers to the ability to create custom tag sets. .
Which character cannot be the first character of an XML element name?
A digit (0-9)
A colon (:)
A letter (A-Z or a-z)
An underscore (_)
Element names in XML cannot begin with a digit; they must start with a letter or underscore. Although a colon is allowed, it is reserved for namespace prefixes. This naming rule is part of the XML specification to ensure valid parsing. .
An XML parser by default treats whitespace between elements as what?
Processing instructions
Character data
Comments
Structural markers
By default, most XML parsers treat whitespace between elements as character data, which means it can appear as empty text nodes in the DOM. Applications can choose to ignore it, but the parser itself records it. This behavior is specified to maintain fidelity to the source document. .
The XML declaration primarily specifies what?
The document title
Which stylesheet to apply
The XML version and optionally the encoding
The DTD location
The XML declaration indicates the XML version and may include the document encoding (e.g., UTF-8). It is optional but recommended at the start of the file. Other attributes, like standalone, can also be included. .
How are comments correctly added in an XML document?
# This is a comment
// This is a comment
/* This is a comment */
XML comments must start with . Comments cannot contain the sequence '--' inside them. They are ignored by parsers and do not appear in the document tree. .
Which XML construct is used to define reusable text or code fragments?
sections
declarations in a DTD
tags in the XML body
Entities in XML are defined in a DTD using declarations. They allow you to reference reusable text or character sequences by name. During parsing, the entity reference is replaced by its definition. .
What purpose does a CDATA section serve in XML?
It defines a comment block
It specifies character encoding
It declares a namespace
It marks unparsed character data so markup inside isn't processed
A CDATA section ( ) tells the parser to treat the enclosed data as character data only, without parsing markup. This is useful for including text with characters like < or &. The section ends with ]]> and cannot be nested. .
Which of the following is the correct syntax for declaring a namespace in XML?
ns:prefix="http://example.com/ns"
namespace prefix="http://example.com/ns"
xml:prefix="http://example.com/ns"
xmlns:prefix="http://example.com/ns"
XML namespaces are declared using the xmlns attribute with an optional prefix. For example xmlns:foo="http://example.com/ns". This binds the prefix 'foo' to the given URI. .
Which specification is the W3C recommendation for defining the structure and data types of XML documents?
Document Type Definition (DTD)
XPath
XML Schema Definition (XSD)
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS)
The W3C XML Schema Definition (XSD) is the recommendation for defining element structure, data types, and allowed content in XML documents. DTD is older and less powerful. XSD supports namespaces and complex type definitions. .
What problem do XML Namespaces solve?
Encrypting XML data structures
Distinguishing elements with the same name but different meanings
Compressing XML documents for transmission
Styling XML elements in the browser
Namespaces allow XML documents to combine elements from different vocabularies without name collisions. By binding a prefix to a URI, elements are distinguished even if their local names match. This mechanism is critical when mixing schemas. .
Which of the following is a valid XML processing instruction?
<%stylesheet type="xsl" href="style.xsl"%>
Processing instructions start with and provide instructions to applications. The xml-stylesheet PI is commonly used to link XSLT stylesheets. They are not comments or elements. .
XSLT is primarily used for what purpose?
Compressing XML data
Styling XML in-browser without conversion
Validating XML against a schema
Transforming XML documents into other formats like HTML or another XML
XSLT is a declarative language designed to transform XML documents into other formats, such as HTML, text files, or even other XML structures. It applies templates and XPath expressions to match and process nodes. .
How do you reference an external DTD in an XML document?
To link an external DTD, you include a DOCTYPE declaration at the top of the XML document, specifying the root element and SYSTEM (or PUBLIC) identifier. The correct syntax is . .
A well-formed XML document must adhere to which of the following?
Comments can remain unclosed
Attribute values may omit quotes
Overlapping elements allowed if quotes are used
Properly nested elements, matching tags, a single root, and quoted attributes
Well-formed XML requires one root element, matching start and end tags, proper nesting, and quoted attribute values. Violating any of these rules makes the document not well-formed. This is fundamental to XML parsing. .
One key difference between XML and HTML is:
XML uses
as an empty tag by default
HTML is case-sensitive and XML is not
XML is rendered by browsers and HTML is not
XML allows user-defined tags and is strict; HTML has predefined tags and is lenient
XML is a data format that lets you define your own tags and enforces strict well-formedness, while HTML is designed for web page presentation with a predefined tag set and forgiving parsing. XML parsers will error on malformations that HTML parsers might ignore. .
What is the purpose of canonical XML?
To compress XML documents for storage
To apply consistent styling across XML viewers
To encrypt XML content securely
To provide a standard physical representation of an XML document for digital signatures and comparison
Canonical XML defines a way to produce a normalized, or canonical, form of an XML document by eliminating insignificant syntactic differences. This is crucial for digital signature algorithms that require byte-for-byte consistency. Without canonicalization, logically identical documents could yield different signatures. .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Core XML Concepts -

    Learn the fundamental principles of Extensible Markup Language, including its purpose, structure, and how it differs from other markup languages.

  2. Identify Well-Formed XML Documents -

    Recognize and validate proper XML syntax by examining tags, nesting rules, and document hierarchies.

  3. Differentiate XML from HTML -

    Analyze key distinctions between XML's extensibility and HTML's predefined tags to apply the correct language in web development scenarios.

  4. Evaluate XML Statements -

    Assess various assertions about XML to determine which statements accurately reflect its capabilities and limitations.

  5. Apply XML Review Techniques -

    Use quiz-based practice to reinforce XML knowledge, identify gaps, and prepare for interviews or certification exams.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Well-Formed Structure -

    A well-formed XML document must have exactly one root element, properly nested child elements, and matching start-end tags as defined by the W3C XML 1.0 specification. XML is case-sensitive - so <Data> and <data> are treated as separate tags - which is a common trick when deciding which of the following is true about XML. Proper structure ensures any parser can read the document without errors.

  2. Well-Formed vs. Valid XML -

    Being well-formed refers solely to correct syntax, whereas a valid XML document also conforms to a DTD or XML Schema (W3C). Use a declaration or an <xs:schema> reference to enforce element order, data types, and value constraints. Remember "form first, then validate" as a mnemonic to keep study points clear.

  3. Namespaces for Unambiguous Tags -

    XML namespaces, declared with an xmlns attribute, prevent naming conflicts by qualifying element and attribute names (W3C Namespaces in XML). For example, <book xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><dc:title>…</dc:title></book> separates Dublin Core metadata. Recall "prefix:name" is the pattern to spot in an XML review test.

  4. Character Encoding Declaration -

    XML supports Unicode, allowing global character sets; you specify encoding in the prolog, e.g., (W3C). If encoding is omitted, UTF-8 is the default under the XML specification. Keep "UTF first" as a simple tip when matching questions about encoding in a basic XML quiz.

  5. Self-Describing and Extensible Tags -

    Unlike HTML, XML has no predefined tags; you define your own element names to describe data, making it both machine- and human-readable (MDN Web Docs). For instance, <invoice> and <item price="9.99"> convey business logic without ambiguity. This extensibility is a core concept in an XML knowledge check or any basic XML quiz.

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