W3C XML Activities
XML is designed to describe, store, transmit, and exchange data.
XML Tutorial
To learn more about XML, please read our XML Tutorial.
XML Versions
XML 1.0
As a W3C Recommendation, XML 1.0 was released on February 10, 1998.
XML 1.0 (Second Edition)
As a W3C Recommendation, XML 1.0 (SE) was released on October 6, 2000.
The second edition was merely a correction based on the consolidation of errata from the first edition (bug fixes).
XML 1.0 (Third Edition)
The third edition was merely a correction based on the consolidation of errata from the first and second editions (bug fixes).
XML 1.1
As a Working Draft, XML 1.1 was released on December 13, 2001, and as a Candidate Recommendation on October 15, 2002.
XML 1.1 allows the use of almost all Unicode characters in names.
Other W3C XML Technologies
XML Namespaces
XML Namespaces provide a method to define element and attribute names used in XML by associating them with URI references.
XML Linking (XLink, XPointer, and XML Base)
The XML Linking Language (XLink) allows you to insert links into XML documents.
The XML Pointer Language (XPointer) allows linking to specific parts of an XML document.
XML Base is a standard for default references to external XML resources (similar to <base> in HTML).
XInclude
XInclude is a mechanism that uses elements, attributes, and URI references to merge XML documents.
W3C XML Specifications and Timeline
| Specification | Draft/Proposal | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| XML 1.0 | February 10, 1998 | |
| XML 1.0 (2.Ed) | October 6, 2000 | |
| XML 1.0 (3.Ed) | February 4, 2004 | |
| XML 1.1 | February 4, 2004 | |
| XML 1.1 (2.Ed) | August 16, 2006 | |
| XML 1.0 Namespaces | January 14, 1999 | |
| XML 1.0 Namespaces SE | March 4, 2004 | |
| XML 1.1 Namespaces | March 4, 2004 | |
| XML 1.1 Namespaces SE | August 16, 2006 | |
| XML Infoset | October 24, 2001 | |
| XML Infoset (2.Ed) | February 4, 2004 | |
| XML Base | June 27, 2001 | |
| XLink 1.0 | June 27, 2001 | |
| XPointer Framework | March 25, 2003 | |
| XPointer element() scheme | March 25, 2003 | |
| XPointer xmlns() scheme | March 25, 2003 | |
| XInclude 1.0 | December 20, 2004 | |
| XInclude 1.0 SE | November 15, 2006 | |
| XML Processing Model | April 5, 2004 | |
| XMLHttpRequest Object | August 3, 2010 |