The Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a significant development that adds flexibility and richness to the exchange of data on the Net. Specifically, XML and its related standards improve Web data exchange by providing a method for structured data transfer. This structured data transfer allows different systems to exchange data through standard or agreed upon formats. Furthermore, XML supports an object model that allows for the sorting, selecting, and manipulating of data in documents, regardless of whether the data resides on the server or on the client computer.