The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a simple, flexible text format derived from SGML (ISO 8879). The W3C created, developed and continues to maintain the XML specification. The W3C is also the primary center for developing other cross-industry specifications that are based on XML. Some of these are being done within the XML Activity, such as XML Query and XML Schema, and some are being done in other W3C Activities, such as Web Services, SVG and XHTML. The XML Activity tries to keep a balance between maintaining stability and backwards compatibility, making improvements that help to encourage interoperability, and bringing new communities into the world of XML.
It is ten years since the Extensible Markup Language wsa released as a W3C Recommendation. The W3C is holding varoius celebratory events, and also has an XML Birthday Card.
The XML Core Working Group has published a Proposed Edited Recommendation for a fifth edition of XML, to try to decouple XML from Unicode Version 2 and improve internationalization; the Working Group also expects to move XML Base from Proposed Edited Recommendation to become XML Base 2nd Edition (as of March 2008).
They have done further work in the HRRI area, and are currently waiting for an IETF IRI-bis document to become a specification.
Canonical XML Version 1.1 is a Proposed Recommendation.
The XML Query Working Group and the XSL Working Group have worked jointly on errata to XQuery 1.0, XSLT 2.0 and the supporting specifications. They have also been working towards having XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Full-Text move towards Candidate Recommendation.
The XML Query Working Group has requested that the Update Facility for XQuery 1.0, which allows queries to change the underlying stored XML, move to Candidate Recommendation. They have also been working on XQuery 1.1 and on the XQuery Scripting Extensions.
The XSL Working Group has worked on requirements for XSL-FO 2.0, and has requested publication of a First Public Working Draft of that document. In addition there has been work on a streamable profile of XSLT, and further consideration of future versions of XPath and XSLT.
The XML Schema Working Group has been processing issues that arose from the Working Draft of W3C XML Schema Definition Language (XSDL) 1.1 Part 1: Structures and is also working on Part 2 (Data Types). They have also met jointly with the XSL, XQuery ans SML Working Groups.
The XML Processing Model Working Group published a new Working Draft of XProc: An XML Pipeline Language. a language for describing operations to be performed on XML documents.
The Efficient XML Interchange Working Group published a new (third) Public Working Draft of Efficient XML Interchange (EXI) Format 1.0 and also worked on a Primer and an Impacts document.
The Service Modeling Language (SML) Working Group has published Last Call Working Drafts for Service Modeling Language, Version 1.1 and SML Interchange Format Version 1.1; this is work resulting from two Member Submissions to W3C. The Working Group also met jointly with the XML Query, XML Schema and XSL Working Groups to help promote coordination.
The XML Security Specifications Maintenance Working Group advanced Canonical XML 1.1 to W3C Proposed Recommendation. The Working Group also reviewed the work the XML Core Working Group has been doing on XML Canonicalization 1.1.
Various conference talks and other events relating to the tenth anniversary of XML are planned, depending on the level of sponsorship attained.
| Group | Chair | Team Contact | Charter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Efficient XML Interchange Working Group (participants) | Takuki Kamiya, Michael Cokus | Carine Bournez | Chartered until 31 December 2008 |
| Service Modeling Language Working Group (participants) | John Arwe, Pratul Dublish | Michael Sperberg-McQueen | Chartered until 31 October 2008 |
| XML Coordination Group (participants) | Michael Sperberg-McQueen | Liam Quin | Chartered until 31 December 2008 |
| XML Core Working Group (participants) | Paul Grosso, Norman Walsh | Henry S. Thompson | Chartered until 31 December 2008 |
| XML Plenary Interest Group | Michael Sperberg-McQueen | Liam Quin | Chartered until 31 December 2008 |
| XML Processing Model Working Group (participants) | Norman Walsh | Michael Sperberg-McQueen, Henry S. Thompson | Chartered until 31 December 2008 |
| XML Query Working Group (participants) | Andrew Eisenberg, Jim Melton | Liam Quin | Chartered until 31 January 2009 |
| XML Schema Interest Group | Michael Sperberg-McQueen | Michael Sperberg-McQueen, Henry S. Thompson | Chartered until 31 December 2008 |
| XML Schema Working Group (participants) | David Ezell | Michael Sperberg-McQueen, Henry S. Thompson | Chartered until 31 December 2008 |
| XSL Working Group (participants) | Sharon Adler | Liam Quin, Michael Sperberg-McQueen | Chartered until 31 January 2009 |
This Activity Statement was prepared for the October 2008 W3C Advisory Committee Meeting (Members only) per section 5 of the W3C Process Document. Generated from group data.
Liam Quin, XML Activity Lead
$Id: Activity.html,v 1.240 2008/09/09 14:27:11 ted Exp $