Microsoft XML Core Services (MSXML) are set of services that allow applications written inJScript,VBScript, and Microsoft development tools to build Windows-nativeXML-based applications. It supports XML 1.0,DOM,SAX, anXSLT 1.0 processor,XML schema support includingXSD andXDR, as well as other XML-related technologies.
All MSXML products are similar in that they are exposed programmatically asOLE Automation (a subset ofCOM) components. Developers can program against MSXML components fromC,C++ or fromActive Scripting languages such as JScript and VBScript. Managed .NET Interop with MSXML COM components is not supported nor recommended.[1]
As with all COM components, an MSXML object is programmatically instantiated by CLSID or ProgID. Each version of MSXML exposes its own set of CLSID's and ProgIDs. For example, to create an MSXML 6.0 DOMDocument object, which exposes theIXmlDomDocument,[2]IXmlDomDocument2,[3] andIXmlDomDocument3[4] COM interfaces, the ProgID "MSXML2.DOMDocument.6.0" must be used.
MSXML also supports version-independent ProgIDs. Version-independent ProgIDs do not have a version number associated with them. For example, "Microsoft.XMLHTTP". These ProgIDs were first introduced in MSXML 1.0, however are currently mapped to MSXML 3.0 objects and the msxml3.dll.
Different versions of MSXML support slightly different sets of functionality. For example, while MSXML 3.0 supports only XDR schemas, it does not support XSD schemas. MSXML 4.0, MSXML 5.0, and MSXML 6.0 support XSD schemas. However, MSXML 6.0 does not support XDR schemas. Support for XML Digital Signatures is provided only by MSXML 5.0. For new XML-related software development, Microsoft recommends[5] using MSXML 6.0 or its lightweight cousin,XmlLite, fornative code-only projects.[6]
MSXML 6.0 MSXML6 is the latest MSXML product from Microsoft, and (along with MSXML3) is shipped withMicrosoft SQL Server 2005,Visual Studio 2005,.NET Framework 3.0, as well asWindows XP Service Pack 3,Windows Vista and every subsequent versions of Windows up toWindows 11. It also has support for native64-bit environments. It is an upgrade but not replacement for versions 3 and 4 as they still provide legacy features not supported in version 6. Version 6, 4, and 3 may all be installed and running concurrently. MSXML 6 is not supported onWindows 9x. Windows XP SP3 includes MSXML 6.0 SP2.
MSXML 3.0 MSXML3 is a current MSXML product, represented by msxml3.dll. MSXML 3.0 SP2 first shipped withWindows XP,Internet Explorer 6.0 andMDAC 2.7. Windows XP SP2 includes MSXML 3.0 SP5 as part of MDAC 2.81. Windows 2000 SP4 also ships with MSXML 3.0. By default, Internet Explorer version6.0,7.0 and8.0 use MSXML 3 to parse XML documents loaded in a window. MSXML 3.0 SP7 is the last supported version forWindows 95. Windows XP SP3 includes MSXML 3.0 SP9.Windows Vista also includes MSXML 3.0 (SP10).
MSXML 5.0 MSXML5 was a binary developed specifically forMicrosoft Office. It originally shipped with Office 2003 and also ships withOffice 2007. Microsoft has not released documentation for this version because Microsoft considers MSXML 5 an internal/integrated component of Office 2003. MSXML 5 is not included inOffice 2010.[8]
MSXML 4.0 MSXML4 was shipped as an independent, downloadable SDK targeted atindependent software vendors and third parties. It is an upgrade for, but not a replacement to MSXML3 as version 3 still provides legacy features. There is no 64-bit version offered, although the 32-bit version was supported for 32-bit processes on 64-bit operating systems. Versions 4 and 3 may be run concurrently. MSXML 4.0 SP3 is the most recent version released in March 2009, SP2 support expired in April 2010,[9] and MSXML 4.0 SP3 expired in April 2014.[10]
MSXML 2.6 This is an early version of MSXML, and is represented by msxml2.dll. This product is no longer supported by Microsoft, and the CLSIDs and ProgIDs it exposes have been subsumed by MSXML 3.0. MSXML 2.6 shipped withMicrosoft SQL Server 2000 and MDAC 2.6. The last version for all platforms was released asKB887606.
MSXML 2.5 This is an early version of MSXML, and is represented by msxml.dll. This version is also no longer supported by Microsoft, and the CLSIDs and ProgIDs it exposes have been subsumed by MSXML 3.0. MSXML 2.5 shipped withWindows 2000 as part ofInternet Explorer 5.01 andMDAC 2.5.
