What is a key characteristic of XML?

A key characteristic of XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is its ability to describe and structure data for exchange between programs. XML provides a flexible way to create information formats and share structured data across different systems, applications, and platforms. It utilizes a tag-based syntax that enables users to define their own tags, which helps ensure that the data is meaningful to both the sender and the receiver.

This characteristic is particularly valuable in contexts such as web services, data interchange between diverse applications, and data storage. By using XML, various systems can understand and process the data uniformly, making it an essential tool for interoperability in a wide range of computing environments. XML's versatility enables developers and organizations to create structured data formats tailored to specific needs while maintaining compatibility across platforms and technologies.