General Accounting Office warns of XML pitfalls

Incomplete standards for using Extensible Markup Language and the lack of uniform, government-specific data structures are some potential pitfalls awaiting agencies that want to use XML, according to a General Accounting Office report released today.Although the document tagging language is technically mature, the immaturity of business standards for vocabulary and data interchange are less advanced, GAO said in “Electronic Government: Challenges to Effective Adoption of the Extensible Markup Language.” There’s still the possibility for “proprietary extensions to be built that would defeat XML’s goal of broad interoperability,” the report said.Agencies face four other XML challenges, according to the report:GAO recommended that the director of the Office of Management and Budget oversee federal planning for XML adoptions. The accounting office reviewed XML development standards and related agency challenges in response to a request from Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.