Guide Note

XML is an abbreviation for Extensible Markup Language, a type of computer programming language. It is a standard and specification designed to transport and store data.¹ Users can create custom data elements and markup languages. XML is designed to easily transfer these elements between users, primarily over the Internet.

Fast Facts

1. Full name: Extensible Markup Language
2. Developed by: W3C (World Wide Web Consortium)
3. Derived from W3C's previous programming language, SGML
4. Is an open standard
5. Often compared to HTML, but functions differently¹
6. Language is text-based
7. Used to store and transport information¹
8. Users define their own program functions, called tags
9. First "Working Draft" was published by Tim Bray and C. M. Sperberg-McQueen on November 14, 1996²
10. Officially released by W3C on February 10, 1998³

Because it is text-based and built upon programming elements called tags, XML is often compared to HTML. But the two languages are fundamentally different. XML is designed to store and exchange data, while HTML is made for graphically displaying data.¹