Macromedia® Flash™ MX 2004 ActionScript: Training from the Source

Chapter 12. Using XML with Flash

Imagine what it would be like if every electrical appliance in your home had a different type of plug. Chances are you'd end up putting most of those gizmos back in the cupboard and doing the task manually. Or what if none of the screwdrivers or wrenches in your tool shed even came close to fitting the screws, nuts, and bolts that hold stuff together? Fortunately, neither scenario is likely because people figured out long ago that by creating products according to guidelines, or rules of standardization, they could have far more productive societies.

In essence, standards facilitate linkages between disparate items—battery and flashlight, Macromedia Flash and multi-user game server, and so on. And on the Web, where ...