application/xml

This is the recommended media type for XML data according to the IETF specifications [RFC 7303]. It signifies that the XML content might not be human-readable and could potentially contain processing instructions or other non-human-consumable elements.

Syntax:

Content-Type: application/xml

This example demonstrates a web service response header using application/xml:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/xml

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<data> 
   <element1>Value 1</element1> 
   <element2>Value 2 with special characters &amp;</element2>
</data>

Note: The response status code is 200 (OK), and the Content-Type header specifies application/xml. The XML data itself contains an element with special characters (&), indicating it might not be entirely human-readable.

text/xml

This indicates that the XML data is likely human-readable and consists primarily of textual content.

Syntax:

Content-Type: text/xml

This example shows a response header using text/xml:

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/xml

<user>
    <name>John Doe</name>  
    <email>[email protected]</email>
</user>

Note: Here, the response structure is similar, but the Content-Type is text/xml. The XML content appears simpler and likely intended for human consumption.

Difference Between text/xml and Application/xml