XML Takes W3C Step Forward

By RICHARD KARPINSKI

The World Wide Web Consortium next week is expected to move the Extensible Markup Language (XML) out of working draft and into new status as a proposed recommendation, cementing the markup language's status as a key next-generation Web technology.

The move is expected to be accompanied with major fanfare, as vendors, including Microsoft, Netscape and a slew of smaller companies pledge support for the W3C's efforts.

While work will continue on the XML specification in W3C working groups, the move should accelerate the development of standards-based XML tools and applications.

A W3C spokeswoman confirmed there will be XML news out of the W3C next week, but wouldn't comment on specific details.

The W3C process moves proposed standards along in steps. Specifications begin as Working Drafts, which are submitted for review by W3C Members. Drafts can be updated, replaced o r obsoleted at any time--and are referred to by the W3C as "works in progress."

The next step is Proposed Recommendation--which is the next step for XML--followed by Recommendation, which signifies that the spec is "stable, contributes to Web interoperablity and is supported for industry-wide adoption by the W3C," according to the group's bylaws

In other W3C XML news, Microsoft next week is expected to submit an XML-based application to the standards body similar to the earlier-submitted Open Software Definition (OSD) standard, sources said.

OSD--which enables incremental software distribution via the Web--was submitted by Marimba, Netscape and others, with Microsoft noticeably missing.

At the time, Microsoft emphasized work it was doing on Web-DAV (Distributed Authoring and Versioning) and other projects in lieu of OSD.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company will have XML news next week, but wouldn't provide details.