Short for
User Interface Markup Language, a markup language extension of
XML that promotes the creation of Web pages that can be viewed on any kind of
interface device, from PC
monitors to smart phones to
PDAs. Using UIML
style sheets, Web content can be created once without knowing specifically which devices it will be viewed on. A developer uses UIML to describe elements of the
user interface -- such as menus, buttons and input boxes. A programmer then can write
applications that rely on UIML to get the content to different devices.
UIML rids developers of the need to have multiple source code families in order to deploy interfaces on multiple devices, relieves developers from the burden of having to manage interface content depending on what devices the content will be viewed on, and eliminates the risk of developing device-specific interfaces for a device that may not be on the market in the future.
