How is Extensible Markup Language (XML) typically used?

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is primarily used as a tool for data storage and transmission between systems. Its design is centered around simplicity and usability across diverse systems, making it an ideal choice for representing structured information in a format that can be easily shared and understood. XML allows for the creation of custom tags to define data, making it flexible enough to represent various data types and structures.

The ability to store data in a hierarchical format enables XML to maintain relationships between data elements, which is essential for data interchange between different systems or applications. This makes XML commonly used in web services, configuration files, and data interchange formats, ensuring that data can be transmitted accurately across different platforms and programming languages.

In contrast, other options do not accurately represent the primary purpose of XML. It is not a programming language for creating web applications, a method for visualizing data sets, or strictly a language for scripting user interfaces. Each of these functions belongs to different technologies and paradigms that serve unique purposes separate from the core utility of XML.