Using XML for simulation modeling

XML represents a new way of organizing information and knowledge of the World Wide Web, using markup languages. Whereas HTML is used for presentation-specific content, XML builds upon its SGML lineage to separate content from presentation, and provide a semantic labeling for elements that comprise a document. With XML, the concept of "document" is broadened to include an encapsulation of information and knowledge, and not only a flat medium. This suggests that XML can be used for model specification and computer simulation. With this in mind, we have used XML to create two modeling specification languages: MXL and DXL. We begin by overviewing XML, discussing MXL and DXL, and then showing an example of how the languages are employed in the modeling process, and can be used with a variety of presentations.