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What is XML (Extensible Markup Language)? XML (Extensible Markup Language) is used to describe data. The XML standard is a flexible way to create information formats and electronically share structured data via the public internet, as well as via corporate networks. XML is a markup language based on Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML) used for defining markup languages.

XML's primary function is to create formats for data that is used to encode information for documentation, database records, transactions and many other types of data. XML data may be used for creating different content types that are generated by building dissimilar types of content -- including web, print and mobile content -- that are based on the XML data. Like Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), which is also based on the SGML standard, XML documents are stored as American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) files and can be edited using any text editor.

What is XML used for? XML's primary function is to provide a "simple text-based format for representing structured information," according to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the standards body for the web, including for the following: underlying data formats for applications such as those in Microsoft Office; technical documentation; configuration options for application software; books; transactions; and invoices. XML enables sharing of structured information among and between the following: programs and programs; programs and people; and locally and across networks.

W3C defines the XML standard and recommends its use for web content. While XML and HTML are both based on the SGML platform, W3C has also defined the XHTML and XHTLM5 document formats that mirror, respectively, the HTML and HTML5 standards for web content. All XML elements must be properly terminated for an XML file to be considered well-formed. This means that a tag must be properly terminated with an opening and closing tag, like this paragraph element that would be a part of a document: