# Microsoft Office Word 2003: XML Schema Reference Overview (Update)

XML Schema is a standard recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). An XML schema defines the set of tags in an XML document and the rules for applying them. Schemas define the structure and type of data that each data element in a document can contain. Anyone can create a schema to define and qualify the content for their application; Microsoft (c) defined schemas abide by the XML Schema 1.0 recommendation. You can view these schemas as alternative file formats to the well-known binary formats. This reference is an updated version of the Microsoft Office Word 2003 schema corresponding to the schemas in the 2003 Microsoft Office System: XML Schema Reference download located from http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/office/aa905495.aspx.

There are also a number of schema namespaces used in the XML support for the Microsoft Office System. These namespaces provide a consistent structure for data used within Office applications and for reliable data exchanges with other applications and systems.

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