CIO Council readies XML portal

CIO Council's XML Working Group

A CIO Council working group plans to launch a portal in 01/to promote and coordinate the use of a technology that can help agencies share data more easily.

The council's eXtensible Markup Language Working Group is putting the finishing touches on xml.gov — a portal that will serve as a resource and demonstration site for XML technology.

A prototype of the portal exists now, and the group hopes to take the site live in January.

"We hope that xml.gov will be the focal point for all government agencies to go to learn XML and to experience XML, and share XML experiences," said Marion Royal, an agency expert at the General Services Administration and co-chairwoman of the XML Working Group.

The XML specification makes it simpler for applications to exchange information by defining a common method of identifying and packaging data. However, interoperability is easier if agencies can agree on common definitions. The xml.gov site eventually may host an online registry that contains XML definitions used by agencies, Royal said.