science

Vector Markup Language

Vector Markup Language is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vector Markup Language rather than just read about it. In short: Vector Markup Language (VML) is an obsolete XML-based file format for two-dimensional vector graphics. It was specified in Part 4 of the Office Open XML standards ISO/IEC 29500 and ECMA-376.

Key takeaways

Vector Markup Language belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vector Markup Language to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vector Markup Language from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vector Markup Language (VML) is an obsolete XML-based file format for two-dimensional vector graphics. It was specified in Part 4 of the Office Open XML standards ISO/IEC 29500 and ECMA-376. According to the specification, VML is a deprecated format included in Office Open XML for legacy reasons only. VML was used extensively in MS Office 2007 Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents. In 2012, with the release of Internet Explorer 10, VML became obsolete and is no longer supported by Internet Explorer standard mode. It is a legacy feature that is available in Internet Explorer 10 only when the browser is set to run in modes that emulate the functionality of previous versions of Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, and 9.

History VML was submitted to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) in 1998 by Autodesk, Hewlett-Packard, Macromedia, Microsoft, and Vision. Around the same time other competing W3C submissions were received in the area of web vector graphics, such as Precision Graphics Markup Language (PGML) from Adobe Systems, Sun Microsystems, and others. As a result of these submissions, a new W3C working group was created, which produced Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG). SVG became a W3C Recommendation in 2001 as a language for describing two-dimensional vector and mixed vector/raster graphics in XML. VML has been largely deprecated in favor of other formats, such as SVG. SVG is not compatible with VML. Development of the format ceased in 1998. VML is implemented in Internet Explorer from version 5 to version 9 and in Microsoft Office 2000. VML is no longer available in Internet Explorer 10. Microsoft expects web sites to transition to SVG. Version 2 of the Google Maps JavaScript API used to use VML for vector paths on Internet Explorer 5.5+, but has been officially deprecated in favour of version 3, which does not.

Syntax Below is a VML instance as produced by Microsoft Excel 2010:

Note that, by specifying a root element named "xml", VML contravenes the XML Recommendation of the W3C, which states that names beginning 'x' 'm' 'l' are "reserved for standardization in this or future versions of this specification".

VML, when embedded within HTML markup, is read and processed by Microsoft Internet Explorer (but not other browsers); for example, the following example displays a solid blue oval:

Implementations VML is used by most Microsoft Office applications, such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Visio, within HTML files created using the 'Save As HTML' option (plain HTML or MHT). Such files retain complete vector information, and can be reopened for editing using other Microsoft applications, such as Microsoft PowerPoint. VML was natively supported by Microsoft's Internet Explorer up to version 9 inline within HTML, using an undefined version of SGML namespaces. Support for VML was dropped in Internet Explorer 10 and subsequent versions. Support for "ink annotations" in Office Open XML files was added to LibreOffice during the 3.7 development cycle. VML is not natively supported by most web browsers. Web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Opera, Safari or Google Chrome support Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) instead of VML.

Microsoft Outlook HTML email rendering Though VML is deprecated as a standard in Internet Explorer, it is most commonly used in relation to the development of HTML emails rendered in Microsoft Outlook 2007, 2010, and 2013. The use of background-images in email campaigns requires the use of VML to be displayed in Outlook because Outlook does not support the CSS or HTML attributes for background-images. However using VML for content rather than its intended purpose as an image format comes with a number of accessibility issues.

Full width table cell background images

Specified width table cell background images

See also List of vector graphics markup languages

References

External links W3C submission Initial draft 13 May 1998 MSDN page about VML MSDN page about DocumentFormat.OpenXml.Vml namespace

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vector Markup Language

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vector Markup Language claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vector Markup Language before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vector Markup Language ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vector Markup Language

In research: Vector Markup Language appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vector Markup Language in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vector Markup Language is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Graphics file formats, ISO/IEC standards, Markup languages, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vector Markup Language outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vector Markup Language in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vector Markup Language means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vector Markup Language out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vector Markup Language in simple terms?

Vector Markup Language (VML) is an obsolete XML-based file format for two-dimensional vector graphics. It was specified in Part 4 of the Office Open XML standards ISO/IEC 29500 and ECMA-376.

Why does Vector Markup Language matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vector Markup Language?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vector Markup Language.