Resta saysXML is the verbose legacy data format — still seen in SOAP, RSS, and enterprise systems.
XML wraps data in nested tags (<user><name>drew</name></user>). It's more verbose than JSON but supports schemas, namespaces, and attributes — strengths that suited document-heavy and enterprise contexts. You'll meet it in SOAP services, RSS/Atom feeds, and older APIs. New APIs almost always choose JSON.
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Data in nested tags, verbose
Supports schemas, namespaces, attributes
Lives in SOAP, RSS/Atom, legacy systems
New APIs prefer JSON
The 401 Bandit attacks — common mistakes
Choosing XML for a new simple API
Forgetting to escape & and < in XML text
Parsing XML with string hacks instead of a parser
Boss battleRepresent the same user object in XML and note how much more verbose it is.