XML, the standardized format of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) aims to make application development and integration very simple. It is a data format and framework that has been adopted as the basis for information exchange by the software development community. It is so powerful that Microsoft developed their entire .NET platform around using XML.

It is simple to learn, flexible to use and easy to understand. It works with applications, the internet and databases and is platform independent meaning it can be used to share data between a variety of database and application types and formats.

Garth Schulte, the instructor for this series, details how XML came to life, why it is needed and how you can use it. This creates a very informative foundation of knowledge that will benefit programmers, administrators and engineers alike. If your job entails any type of interface with databases, connectivity of applications or transferring of information, you need to watch these videos. Programmers will find the videos a great place to start if they are considering an MCAD or MCSD for .NET certification track. The series contains 14 videos that average 30 minutes in length. This provides for 7 hours of in-depth instruction that is designed to entertain as well as educate. You won�t fall asleep watching these. Garth has a great personality that shines through in his presentation of the material. He is truly passionate about programming and what you can create with a computer.