XML is an acronym for Extensible Markup Language. A markup language is a means of identifying structured information in a document. Structured information contains content, such as words and pictures, and some indication of the role of the content (section heading, footnote, figure caption, as examples). Examples of structured information include entries in spreadsheets, address books, financial transactions, and technical drawings. A markup language like XML identifies the structured elements in a document. XML defines a way putting such structured information meaningfully into a text file.

The XML language enables the design of data format in a way that produces files that are easy to generate and read (by a computer--the text is not meant to be read by the user), unambiguous, and independent of any particular operating platform. Thus, XML can operate using a variety of computer operating systems.

Prior to...