TEIXML

TEIXML is a hypothetical XML-based specification intended to encode and exchange technical information across disciplines. It proposes a compact, interoperable vocabulary for metadata, document structure, and cross-referencing, designed to integrate with existing XML technologies such as XML Schema, XLink, and XPointer. TEIXML aims to support both human readability and machine processing in digital repositories and standards documentation.

Core concepts include a canonical document model with a root teixml:document element, a teixml:meta block for provenance and keywords, and a teixml:content container for sections, figures, tables, equations, and code blocks. Cross-references use explicit teixml:ref elements, allowing stable linking to bibliographic items and external data. Namespaces enable extensions without breaking existing documents.

Syntax and schemas: TEIXML is designed to be validated by an XML Schema Definition (XSD) or RELAX NG grammar. Implementations typically provide schema files, sample documents, and a stylesheet pipeline for rendering to HTML or PDF. The vocabulary is deliberately small but extensible, with optional modules for domain-specific vocabularies, such as mathematics, chemistry, or software documentation.

History and status: TEIXML emerged in theoretical and research circles in the 2010s as a proposal to improve interoperability of technical documents. It has not been adopted as an official standard by major standards bodies, and practical deployments are limited to prototype projects, literature experiments, or educational demonstrations.

Applications and governance: Potential applications include digital libraries, standards bodies, technical journals, and multi-author documentation where consistent metadata and structure enable automated indexing, search, and reuse. Since TEIXML is not an official standard, governance and versioning are community-driven in proposals and reference implementations. See also XML, TEI, DocBook, XML Schema, RELAX NG, XSLT, XQuery.