XML is generally accepted as the default markup language for structured document and data management systems worldwide. But, in spite of the fact that XML document standards have matured over the past decade and despite its widespread use, XML still has a significant shortcoming that limits its usefulness in this role. It has no native ability to track changes.
A generic change-tracking standard would transform the utility of XML. It would allow documents to be moved from one XML editor to another, complete with change history and the ability to roll back to previous versions; it would allow editing applications to track changes in any XML document type; and software designed to handle change in XML could be applied to many different XML document types.