XML is a fad, STEP is the future (Score 5, Interesting)

XML tries to make everything fit into a single hierarchy. Most real-world information is comprised of graphs of data. ISO STEP provides better readability compared to XML, a more strongly typed schema mechanism, and a more compact size. Best of all, programs can process and present results of STEP incrementally instead of requiring closing tags so you can hold gigabytes of information in the same file and seek randomly.

Example:
#10=ORGANIZATION('O0001','LKSoft','company');
#11=PRODUCT_DEFINITION_CONTEXT('part definition',#12,'manufacturing');
#12=APPLICATION_CONTEXT('mechanical design');
#13=APPLICATION_PROTOCOL_DEFINITION('','automotive_design',2003,#12);
#14=PRODUCT_DEFINITION('0',$,#15,#11);
#15=PRODUCT_DEFINITION_FORMATION('1',$,#16);
#16=PRODUCT('A0001','Test Part 1','',(#18));
#17=PRODUCT_RELATED_PRODUCT_CATEGORY('part',$,(#16));
#18=PRODUCT_CONTEXT('',#12,'');
#19=APPLIED_ORGANIZATION_ASSIGNMENT(#10,#20,(#16));
#20=ORGANIZATION_ROLE('id owner');