Plain Old XML

POX redirects here. For other uses, see Pox.

Plain Old XML (POX) is a term used to describe basic XML, sometimes mixed in with other, blendable specifications like XML Namespaces, Dublin Core, XInclude and XLink. People typically use the term as a contrast with complicated, multilayered XML specifications like those for Web Services or RDF.

An interesting question is how POX relates to XML Schema. On the one hand, POX is completely compatible with XML Schema. However, many POX users eschew XML Schema to avoid the poor/inconsistent quality of XML Schema-to-Java tools.

The term POX has an advantage over saying REST in that it induces fewer religious debates. Otherwise, POX applications are usually REST-based, using a combination of HTTP GET and POST (although many REST purists would point out that many POX applications do not follow the REST design patterns).

The primary competitor to POX is JSON-derivatives that avoid many of the problems of XML altogether.