XMLlike

XMLlike is a markup language designed to be a lightweight, XML-inspired data representation format. It aims to combine human readability with predictable parsing while reducing some of the verbosity commonly associated with XML. As a family of syntax rules, XMLlike documents describe hierarchical data using a tree of elements, each potentially carrying attributes and nested content. The basic syntax mirrors XML: documents are delimited by a root element; elements are introduced with start tags and terminated with end tags, and empty elements may be written in a self-closing form. Attributes appear within the start tag as name-value pairs, with values enclosed in quotation marks. Namespaces can be used to qualify element names through prefixes, allowing compositions of independent vocabularies.

Variants of XMLlike may support a more compact syntax mode, optimize whitespace handling, or allow optional closing tags in limited contexts, though core documents remain well-formed and tree-structured. The emphasis is on a balance between expressive power and simplicity, with a focus on predictable parsing across implementations.

Validation and tooling for XMLlike encompass schemas and validators designed to check structure and data types. Documents may be validated against an XMLlike Schema or against compatible schema languages via adapters, enabling interoperability with broader data modeling approaches. Parsers, serializers, and library support exist in multiple programming languages, and many XML toolchains can be extended to handle XMLlike documents, preserving compatibility with existing pipelines where feasible.

Use cases for XMLlike include configuration files, data interchange formats, and lightweight document representations. Its neutral, human-friendly syntax is intended to facilitate both manual authoring and automated processing, while remaining adaptable to evolving data modeling needs.