Data storage and extraction in engineering software using XML

Most engineering analysis programs rely on customized procedures for storing and accessing scientific data. The size of the data set needed to characterize an engineering problem can be substantial, particularly as the problem increases in complexity. This paper presents a methodology for greatly improving the accessibility of scientific data using the Extensible Markup Language (XML) to define a consistent procedure for data storage and retrieval. When the data is expressed in an XML format, any portion of the data set can be easily accessed by interfacing with an XML parser. Examples are provided for automating design calculations and CAD drawings.