ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Standard Interchange Language

Standard interchange language is like a special code that computers use to talk to each other. Just like you and your friend might have a secret language or code that you use to communicate, computers have a special language they use to exchange information with each other. This language helps different types of computer systems understand each other and communicate effectively, kind of like how different people from different countries might use English as a common language to talk to each other.

Standard interchange language is necessary because different computer systems may store and process information in different ways. For example, your computer might store your name as "Sarah Smith", but another computer might store your name as "Smith, Sarah". Without a standardized way of exchanging information, these two computers might have a hard time communicating with each other.

To solve this problem, people have developed standard interchange languages like XML or JSON. These languages provide a set of rules that different computer systems can follow to ensure that they understand each other's information, even if it is stored differently. Think of it like a set of instructions that tell different computers how to read the same book, even if the book is written in different languages.

Using standard interchange languages helps to facilitate communication and data sharing between different computer systems, which is essential for many business and data processing tasks. It helps to ensure that information flows smoothly and accurately between different systems, making it easier for people to work together and share information.