Happy 10th anniversary, XML!

The W3C Recommendation Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 was initially published on the 10th of February 1998. Since then, XML has proliferated at a rapid pace, becoming the predominant method for electronic data interchange between information systems, and we can safely describe it as universally applicable, fast, scalable and durable integration code.  XML and its related standards and tools are continuing to enable data interoperability, content manipulation, content sharing and reuse, document assembly, document security and access control, document filtering, and document formatting for all types of devices and applications.  As we celebrate its tenth anniversary, we have a great opportunity to look back and reflect on the role XML has played in the technical ecosystem in which it functions, and to acknowledge the fact that it will take its place among the technical standards having the greatest impact on the world in which we live.

The Microsoft’s XML Team believes that XML's potential has only begun to be realized and that there are still new XML tools to be created, steps to be made, issues to be resolved and risks to be avoided, in order for XML to fulfill its promise. The XML team is committed to continue to assist developers everywhere to quickly build implementations that are scalable, robust, and flexible enough to work across all types of applications. Systems that implement the tooling required to process and query XML must address performance problems without destroying the requirement for ubiquity and the Microsoft’s XML Team is here to help enable implementers to rapidly prototype ideas.

Congratulations to all who made XML such a milestone 10 years ago and congratulations to all that today are releasing and innovating products and technologies that will direct the future of XML, helping it realize its full potential for increasing the value of information technology!

Irinel Crivat
Program Manager | Data Programmability