What is an XML file?

An XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file is a text-based file format used for data exchange and storage. It is similar to HTML, but has a more strict syntax and is designed for data, not for presentation. XML files are used to store and transport structured data between computer systems, and are commonly used for data exchange between different software applications, platforms, and organizations.

An XML file consists of elements, which are the basic building blocks of an XML document. Each element has a start tag, an end tag, and the content in between. Elements can contain other elements, and can have attributes, which provide additional information about the element.

XML files are highly flexible and can be used to represent almost any type of structured data, such as documents, books, product catalogs, customer data, financial data, etc. They can be read and processed by a wide range of software, including web browsers, programming languages, and databases, making them a widely used and widely supported format for data exchange and storage.