It is easy to dismiss XML as legacy technology because JSON dominates web tutorials and modern APIs. But XML remains deeply relevant in enterprise software, financial systems, configuration formats, publishing workflows, office documents, and message exchange standards.
One reason is strict structure. XML gives teams a clear way to describe nested data with validation rules, namespaces, schemas, and document-like organization. In environments where correctness, compatibility, and standards matter more than minimal syntax, that extra structure can be a strength rather than a burden.
Developers still encounter XML in SOAP services, RSS feeds, SVG, Android resources, document processing, and integrations between older and newer systems. Learning to read it calmly instead of treating it as obsolete makes you much more adaptable across industries.
The real lesson is broader than XML itself: tools rarely disappear just because the industry conversation moves on. Valuable engineers stay effective in both modern stacks and older systems that still power large parts of the world.