XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a flexible, text-based markup language designed to store and transport structured data. It uses custom tags to define elements and attributes, enabling hierarchical data representation with clear semantic meaning. XML provides a platform-independent way to describe, share, and structure complex information across different systems and applications.
Highly flexible and extensible, human and machine-readable, platform-independent, supports Unicode, enables complex data structures, strong validation capabilities through schemas, and promotes data interoperability across diverse systems and programming languages.
Verbose compared to JSON, slower parsing performance, larger file sizes, complex processing requirements, overhead in storage and transmission, and steeper learning curve for complex implementations compared to more lightweight data formats.
XML is widely used in web services, configuration files, data exchange between applications, RSS feeds, SVG graphics, XHTML, Microsoft Office document formats, and enterprise software integration. Industries like finance, healthcare, publishing, and telecommunications rely on XML for standardized data communication and document management.