"T.M. Sommers" <tms@nj.net> wrote: <snip> > > Perhaps I should have been more explicit and said that I see no > advantages of XML over GEDCOM for the uses to which GEDCOM is > put, namely passing data back and forth between genealogical > programs. You seem to want to use XML as some sort of reporting <snip> > Except that XML is specifically extensible. Meaning that at SOME point the user or software would be required to handle "extra" data that may be an enhancement, or partially relevant/not relevant to the software and user's task. Having that built-in to the file format (and therefore the software) is a HUGE step forward, imo. Data from a multitude of good sources (along with bad sources) is on the web. Eventually ALL of the data from good sources will be tagged using XML tags at some point. Imagine good data, properly tagged, able to be read by your software and auto-tagged with it's source info, and PASSED ON because the file format supports it.