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About XML Files

An .xml file is a text file formatted in the Extensible Markup Language (XML), a machine- and human-readable standard that organizes information into a tree-like structure with tags defining the meaning of the data. For example, an .xml file might store information about a book with tags like <title>, <author>, and <genre> to describe its properties. Many applications use the standard to share structured data to ensure that the data's format and meaning remain consistent.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) developed XML in the late 1990s to make data exchange across systems and platforms easier while maintaining compatibility with web technologies. Due to XML's flexibility, many fields, including those related to web development, software configuration, and data interchange, have widely adopted the standard, making it an integral aspect of modern data management. Common uses for XML include storing settings for software applications and serving as a bridge for communication between different systems, such as databases and APIs.

Users may open and edit .xml files with plain text editors. However, most use XML editors that provide helpful syntax highlighting, editing, and validation features.