PRESS RELEASE
MatML Schema Version 3.1 Released September 1, 2004
The MatML Coordination Committee is pleased to announce the release and publication of Version 3.1 of the MatML Schema. The new version is now available on the website: together with other supporting information. Version 3.1 replaces Version 3.0, initially published in January 2003, and contains a number of enhancements and improvements in efficiency.
MatML is a non-proprietary extensible markup language for materials information. An extremely useful characteristic of MatML is the use of tags that are standard engineering materials terms, conveying to the markup a higher level of understanding and meaning to its content, not only for machine=readability but also for ease of interpretation and quality assessment to materials specialists utilizing it. Broad acceptance and application of MatML for exchanging materials information electronically will greatly enhance the efficiency and reduce the redundancy of program writing for exchange among disparate organizations.
MatML was developed starting in October 1999 in a cooperative program led by Ed Begley, of NIST, who created the concept and led the technical work through the Version 3.0 release. The leadership of the MatML program was assumed by the MatML Coordination Committee in mid-2003, replacing the NIST MatML Steering Committee, the previous sponsor.
Version 3.1 was the result of the work of the MatML Schema Development Working Group, Doug Fleming, Chair. Work continues within this group to address additional challenges uncovered with progress in commercial trial implementations.
Among the principal activities underway are the efforts to develop an OASIS Specification for MatML, and commercial trial applications, including among others aerospace materials information exchange, electronic publication development, and test laboratory data reporting.
The MatML Coordination Committee is made up of industrial, academic, and government laboratory specialists in materials information and its application to e-commerce. For more information or to become involved, view the website: or contact Co-Chairs Laura Bartolo () or Gil Kaufman ()