# What is an XML Architect? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 18, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916 "2011-06-18T07:04:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/1 "2011-06-18T07:04:07Z")
I’ve been contacted about a job as an “XML Architect.” The location is good, but I don’t know what the heck an XML Architect is or does. Any pointers? ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/2 "2011-06-18T07:12:34Z")
XML: > **[XML Introduction](https://www.w3schools.com/xml/xml_whatis.asp)** > > W3Schools offers free online tutorials, references and exercises in all the major languages of the web. Covering popular subjects like HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Python, SQL, Java, and many, many more. As an architect, you would be responsible for designing how to store and transport data using XML. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/3 "2011-06-18T07:51:50Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > …but I don’t know what the heck an XML Architect is or does. Any pointers? Do you normally consider taking jobs about which you know nothing? What if this were murder contracting, or something like that? Still interested in pointers? ---
**Author:** ![Rune](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e68b1a/32.png) [@Rune](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rune)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/4 "2011-06-18T11:06:38Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Do you normally consider taking jobs about which you know nothing? What if this were murder contracting, or something like that? Still interested in pointers? I do that all the time. How else would I learn new stuff. Although I know about XML which I have been using for years. As a tool in other tasks. I just thought there should be more to an actual job - and especially one with such a fine sounding title - than deciding how to structure an XML file. ---
**Author:** ![ethelbert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@ethelbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ethelbert)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/5 "2011-06-18T14:53:33Z")
Corporate IT folks love to attach “Architect” to the title of many jobs. Sometimes it actually has some meaning (like if people had to go through you to confirm that their use of XML conforms to the company “architecture”), but I wouldn’t bet my lungs on it. All I would infer from that job title is that it requires knowledge of XML. Like George Costanza, they always wanted to be Architects. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/6 "2011-06-18T15:15:56Z")
> [@Rune](#): > > I do that all the time. How else would I learn new stuff… I like your attitude. _I’d_ hire you! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/7 "2011-06-18T15:17:39Z")
Depending on the details, there may be a lot more to it. Complying with public standards, writing \*correct \*XSDs for the complicated stuff the tools don’t handle, etc. Or becoming the mother hen for an existing set of 2,387 poorly-designed existing schemas. Or, like others have said, its just a fancy name for a database analyst using a clunky data base “language”. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-an-xml-architect/585916/8 "2011-06-18T15:49:27Z")
**What is an XML Architect?** Overpaid. Take the job.