Short for commerce XML, a set of document type definitions for the XML specification. cXML works as a meta-languagethat defines necessary information about a product. It will be used to standardize the exchange of catalog content and to define request/response processes for secure electronic transactions over the Internet. The processes includes purchase orders, change orders, acknowledgments, status updates, ship notifications and payment transactions.
cXML began as a collaborative effort among 40+ companies looking to reduce the costs of online business. This standardized methodology will allow participating companies–and others who implement the cXML framework–to constantly improve and streamline electronic commerce.
The first version of cXML (version 0.91) launched in mid-May 1999.