10 Great Free Online Courses for Learning XML

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Knowing the ins-and-outs of XML is vital for all development careers. Created by the World Wide Web Consortium, this markup language designed the rules for encoding documents in formats that work for both humans and machines. It’s a foundational skill needed if you want to break into web development.

There is no shortage of free education when it comes to XML, so it’s a challenge to sort out the best from those are are just okay. However, we think we’ve nailed it. Using a methodology we developed to help students find only the best online courses, we’ve narrowed down a list of the most helpful and comprehensive ways you can learn XML right now.

Featured Programs

Disclaimer: Some courses may include an affiliate link. Courses were chosen first based on the methodology with affiliate links only added after the ranking was complete.

In this article, we will introduce you to our favorite free XML courses. We have an eclectic mix of robust offerings mixed with some more quick easy choices. They are listed in descending order, with our favorites right at the top. However, all of them deserve a second glance, as these are indeed the best of the best.

Ranking 10 Free Online Courses for Learning XML

1. Introduction to XML

Offered by W3Schools via the World Wide Web Consortium

There is really no better place to learn XML than from the people that created it. The World Wide Web Consortium, or W3C, unveiled XML in 1998, and since then, they have been the authority. While you can access this course on some other learning platforms, we feel that going straight to the source will be most beneficial.

Features of the free XML online course include a grade book, auto-graded assignments, and a helpful discussion forum. You can also score yourself some free shareable badges—a plus if you want to display your new skills on LinkedIn or your CV.

The course is fairly robust, with lessons, videos, and tutorials. Students will learn Tree, Syntax, Elements, Attributes, Namespaces, Display, and more. There are 18 sections in all, plus a final quiz. The entire course is free, but if you want to document your skills you can take a final exam and earn certification from several sources for a fee.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes, with a fee

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory to intermediate

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

• Learn from the creators of XML

• Go at your own pace

• No sign ups needed. Start whenever you would like

Cons:

• None

2. XML: The Essentials

Offered by Indiana University

It’s rare to see a free university level course that isn’t hosted on one of the major online learning platforms, so we were very excited to check out this offering by Indiana University. For the most part, things that seem too good to be true generally are, but that is not so with this course.

We’ve rocketed this offering right to the top of our list, and if you choose no other course, this is the one you need. Once you’re done, you will:

• Understand the rules of XML syntax

• Author an XML document

• Validate an XML document against an existing schema

The prerequisites are simple as well. If you can use a mouse and keyboard, open and save files, open and close windows, and toggle between windows, you’re in. It really is that easy.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

• Clear and concise instruction

• Offered through a prominent university

• Excellent UX

Cons:

• Certification not offered

3. XML Essential Training

Offered by LinkedIn learning

This XML course offered on LinkedIn is taught by Joe Marini, a manager and strategic partner developer of relations at Google. Those credentials alone are enough. Combine Marini’s expertise with a top-notch nine-module XML course and you have a winner.

If you have a LinkedIn premium account, this course will be free for you. If you are not a member, you can take advantage of a free trial that will give you plenty of time to complete it. It covers all the basics but moves into advanced topics that will ensure that once you are done you will have mastered XML.

Cost: Free Try a free trial for Linkedin Learning.

Certificate: Yes, shareable badge

Time to Complete: Two hours and 38 minutes

Curriculum: Introductory to intermediate

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

• One of the most interactive learning platforms available

• Excellent user experience

• Taught by an industry expert

Cons:

• Students who are not premium Linkedin members must remember to cancel before the trial is up.

4. Creating an InDesign Booklet Using XML

Offered by LinkedIn Learning

This free online course will introduce students to a practical project using XML. It’s taught by Adobe Certified Instructor Chad Chelius and takes just over three hours to complete. Students will use InDesign and XML to create a data-heavy document.

You will learn to set up the document and tag the content, then clean the data and fine-tune the layout. The XML online course also covers some tips for saving your work in an InDesign template. Upon completion, you will be able to replicate the entire process to speed up any size job.

Cost: Free Try a free trial for Linkedin Learning.

Certificate: Shareable badge

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

• Taught by an industry expert

• Practical and hands on

• Free to premium users

Cons:

• Must cancel before free trial is over if you are not a premium LinedIn member

5. XML Schema 1.1

Offered by Altova

Altova’ds easy XML training is a favorite among students. The free course titled “XML Schema 1.1″ is presented in nine sections, each of them designed to instruct students on a different XML concept. You proceed through the chapters in sequence, and each is an interactive tutorial.

It’s one of the most user-friendly options on our list, and students looking for a course with strong UX will enjoy it immensely. There is even a search box you can use to go back to previous topics when you need a refresher. The modules include:

• Core concepts

• Built-in datatypes

• User-defined simple yypes

• Complex types

• Namespaces

• Identity constraints

• Include/Import/Override

• Misc concepts

We won’t lie, this material is super-dry and you’re going to need to hold on tight and down a lot of caffeine to make it interesting. However, if you want the basics, this course is the ideal place to start.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

• Well-organized and taught in sequence

• User-friendly platform

• Teaches all the basics

Cons:

• Lackluster instruction

6. XML Fundamentals

Offered by Pluralsight

This top-rated Pluralsight course on the fundamentals of XML is one of their most popular offerings. It’s taught by industry expert Dan Sullican, and for those who are looking for a more engaging course, this fits the bill.

Students should be aware that Pluralsight is a paid learning platform. However, they offer a ten day free trial, which would give you enough time to complete this course at no charge. Topics covered in this XML course with certificate include:

• XMLstructure

• Document type definition and parsed entities

• Content and markup

• Element declarations

• Attribute declarations

• Parameter entities

• Namespaces

Cost: Free with a trial

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: Four hours 51 minutes

Curriculum: Intermediate

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

• Excellent user interface

• Comprehensive

• Engaging instructor

Cons:

• Must remember to cancel before trial is up

7. XML Tutorial

Offered by XML Master

XML Master may not offer the prettiest platform for learning XML, but they have nailed it when it comes to comprehensive instruction. If you are studying XML for the first time, these step-by-step instructions will be invaluable. Plus, you can refer back to them time and time again simply by bookmarking the page.

There are no complicated sign-ups needed. You can access the tutorials from your browser at any time without offering up personal information. If you learn best by reading, all the fundamentals are at your fingertips in this Free XML online course with certificate.

Free tools, success stories, and practice exams round off this very useful resource.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes, with a fee

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory to Intermediate

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

• Bare bones learning for those who are not into the frills

• Go at your own pace

• Accessible from your browser with no sign-ups needed.

Cons:

• Pretty unattractive site

8. Free XML Training

Offered by Beginners Book

Beginners Book is an interesting little site offering free tutorials in Python, Java, C++ and several other topics, and this free XML instruction is one of their many offerings. Its fairly comprehensive and covers most of the usual topics related to XML such as:

• Introduction to XML

• XML features

• Advantages and disadvantages of XML

• HTML vs XML

• JSON vs XML

• XML Example

• XML Syntax

• XML Tree Structure

• XML Attributes

• XML comments

• XML Validator

• XML DTD

We’re not sure who Chaitanya Singh is, but we certainly appreciate the huge amount of effort he or she has put into this incredibly comprehensive course offering.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

• Easy-on-the eyes and straightforward

• Work at your own pace

• Progresses in a logical sequence

Cons:

• Not much information about the creators of the course

9 An Introduction to Extensible Markup Language (XML)

Offered by Free Code Camp

As the premier geeky learning platform for all things code, Free Code Camp should be one of your first stops on your journey to master XML. While it’s not heavy on XML content, it does offer some basics and is definitely the premiere site for moving forward with any developing path you might choose.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

• No sign ups needed

• Access from any device

• Plenty of materials to take you further

Cons:

• Not enough XML-specific learning on site

10. XML Tutorial For Beginners

Offered by Clever Techie on YouTube

If you absolutely must learn by listening and watching, this upbeat tutorial on YouTube will work. It’s presented by Clever Techie, and he’s got some amazing video tutorials that will blow you away. One of those is this XML tutorial for beginners, which is literally just over six minutes long.

If you want to take things further you can subscribe to the channel or upgrade your experience through a paid subscription , but it’s optional.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

• Engaging

• Fast

• No signup needed

Cons:

• Not nearly comprehensive enough

Frequently Asked Questions About Free XML Courses

Free online courses or MOOCs (massive open online courses) have become increasingly popular over the past several years. Offered at no cost by leading universities and large companies like Google, Linux, Microsoft, and others, they give students the chance to learn some new skills at no charge.

There is no shortage of XML courses, but naturally, there are many questions about how these free courses work. In this section, we will hopefully answer some of them. But let’s start by defining XML.

What is XML?

XML stands for Extensible Markup Language. It was created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to define a syntax (set of computing rules) for encoding (converting data from one form to another) documents for humans and machines to read. Phew! That’s a lot to digest!

Thankfully, XML is not as complicated as it sounds. In fact, you can compare it to HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). The main difference is that while HTML focuses on presenting the content (making a sentence bold, for example), XML is a language used to store data.

XML is used for many tasks, and if you’ve come to this page to seek free online courses in XML, you are probably already aware of many of them.

Who Uses XML?

Developers (both front and back-end), writers, content creators, designers, and coders can all benefit from learning XML. Since it’s not one of those “everyday” skills that a lot of people have, understand XML can increase your marketability when you’re looking for a new job or trying to get a promotion. Positioning yourself as the “go-to” employee for all things XML can be a great boost to your career.

If you are planning a career in web development or design, it’s never too early to start learning XML. It’s not complicated. But you should have a keen interest in programming and IT if you want to get the most out of it. If it’s not something you are into, you will lose interest quickly.

What Are the Requirements and Prerequisites?

There are usually no restrictions if you choose to take a free XML course. Even kids can take them (although due to age requirements on some platforms, sometimes parents need to take care of the registration).

However, XML courses will be frustrating for you if you don’t already possess solid computer skills. It’s also a good idea to take some HTML and CSS courses first, but it’s not a requirement. The classes on our list vary in terms of difficulty, so if you are new to XML, start with the introductory courses and move on to more advanced ones as you build your XML skills.

How Long Do Free Online Courses Take? Are There Deadlines?

All of the free XML courses on this list are designed to be taken at your own pace. The completion times vary widely, with some only taking a few hours and others taking a few weeks.

One of the things people love the most about free online courses is the flexibility they offer. In most cases, the only limitations will be your prior commitments and your schedule. The majority of courses can be started immediately, and although there are suggested completion times, students can proceed through the lessons faster or slower depending upon their level of motivation.

The other great thing about remote classes is you can complete them any time of the day or night, from any location with an internet connection.

Are Free Online Courses Graded?

Grading is usually a component of paid programs, although some have final exams or quizzes that are auto-graded. Typically, there is little, if any, interaction with an instructor, so if you are expecting to have an evaluation, don’t be disappointed.

Can I Work in an XML Job Without a Formal Degree?

Many people who use XML in their jobs have not pursued a formal degree. There are thousands of developers, for example, who are self-taught and have never set foot inside the halls of higher education. So, yet, you can work in XML without having to attend college.

To succeed, you will want to demonstrate your skills and abilities, so a substantial portfolio of projects may even do more to impress a hiring manager than college credentials.

If you enjoy technology and are self-disciplined and motivated, you can definitely carve out a career where you will use XML skills.

Are Free XML Courses Worth It?

If you enjoy computer languages and have the time and inclination to commit yourself to learning XML, free online courses are well worth your time. There is no need to pay for XML courses online when you can find so many high-quality offerings that won’t cost you a dime.

XML is a skill that will stay with you throughout your career, and can set you above the competition when you’re seeking a position as a developer.