XML

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a flexible, text-based file format used to store, organize, and exchange structured data between different systems, applications, and platforms. Unlike fixed file formats, XML allows users to create custom tags that define both the content and structure of the data, making it easy for humans to read and machines to process. Its standardized format ensures that information can be shared across diverse software environments while preserving data hierarchy, relationships, and meaning. XML supports nested elements, attributes, and metadata, making it suitable for representing both simple documents and complex datasets. It is widely used in web services, databases, configuration files, enterprise applications, e-commerce, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for storing and transferring information. Because XML is platform-independent and extensible, it enables seamless data integration, validation, interoperability, and long-term data management, making it a fundamental technology for reliable information exchange across many industries.