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 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 was released as a W3C Recommendation. The W3C had been holding various celebratory events at conferences, 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 hopes to move XML Base from Proposed Edited Recommendation to become XML Base Second Edition (as of September 2008), but is still awaiting the publication of the IRI-bis specification. This is also delaying other documents, including revisions of XInclude, XLink and the Legacy Extended IRI specification.
Canonical XML 1.1 is now a Recommendation.
The XML Core Working Group also continues to process errata.
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. XQuery 1.0 and XPath 2.0 Full-Text is now a Candidate Recommendation.
The XML Query Working Group has published Update Facility for XQuery 1.0 as a Candidate Recommendation, which allows queries to change the underlying stored XML.
XQuery 1.1 was published as a First Public Working Draft, adding a number of features that have been widely requested by users and implementers as they gain experience with XQuery.
The XQuery Scripting Extensions have been published as a First Public Working Draft; they add synchronization and procedural features to XQuery.
The XSL Working Group has published requirements for XSL-FO 2.0, 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 published Last Call Working Drafts of W3C XML Schema Definition Language (XSD) 1.1 Part 1: Structures and Part 2: Datatypes, and is now processing comments received.
They have also met jointly with the SML, XSL, XQuery ans SML Working Groups.
The XML Processing Model Working Group published a last Call 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 First Public Working Draft of Efficient XML Interchange Impacts, and a fourth Working Draft of the Efficient XML Interchange format.
The Service Modeling Language (SML) Working Group has published second Last Call Working Drafts for Service Modeling Language, Version 1.1 and SML Interchange Format Version 1.1.
Look for an Activity Proposal for renewing the XML Activity towards the end of 2008. XML is in a period of consolidation and stability; the community is demanding new features and specifications at a high level and simultaneously demanding stability in the infrastructure. XML is a global success.
| 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 | Michael Sperberg-McQueen | Chartered until 31 December 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
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