xml vs DTO

Hi All,

Why is xml used to pass data between application layers? We can very well use DTO for same purpose.

Thanks
Ramesh

Welcome to the Ranch, Ramesh!

As for your question: you would have to ask the person who decided to do it that way why they made that decision. It's possible that it was a good decision, or that it was a bad decision, but without any details it's useless to speculate about it.

My reasons for using XML instead of DTO etc

- easy to create/modify example data with a text editor so you can test data processing independently from data creation
... see for example the use of SOAPui to manipulate SOAP XML messages, especially for creating error conditions

- easy to read actual data transmissions - see SOAPui again

- easy to add new data elements without having to modify existing programming (assuming you chose a good structure in the first place.)

Bill

Thanks William and Paul,

In my application they have DTO and in each DTO they have marshalXML and unMarshalXML method/function which are used for xml generation.

This xml is passed to different layers including DAO layer. I am fail to understand why this architecture, instead they can use DTO itself and avoid overhead of Marshalling XML and UN-Marshalling XML.

Can you please provide some pointers, How this architecture benefits.

Regards,
Ramesh