Editing Vector Markup Language (section)

== Syntax ==
Below is a VML instance as produced by [[Microsoft Excel]] 2010:
<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
<xml xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml"
 xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
 xmlns:x="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:excel">
 <o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
  <o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
 </o:shapelayout><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t202" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="202"
  path="m,l,21600r21600,l21600,xe">
  <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
  <v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
 </v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1025" type="#_x0000_t202" style='position:absolute;
  margin-left:203.25pt;margin-top:82.5pt;width:108pt;height:59.25pt;z-index:1;
  visibility:hidden' fillcolor="#ffffe1" o:insetmode="auto">
  <v:fill color2="#ffffe1"/>
  <v:shadow on="t" color="black" obscured="t"/>
  <v:path o:connecttype="none"/>
  <v:textbox style='mso-direction-alt:auto'>
   <div style='text-align:left'></div>
  </v:textbox>
  <x:ClientData ObjectType="Note">
   <x:MoveWithCells/>
   <x:SizeWithCells/>
   <x:Anchor>
    4, 15, 5, 10, 6, 31, 9, 9</x:Anchor>
   <x:AutoFill>False</x:AutoFill>
   <x:Row>6</x:Row>
   <x:Column>3</x:Column>
  </x:ClientData>
 </v:shape>
</xml>
</syntaxhighlight>

Note that, by specifying a root element named "xml", VML contravenes the [[XML]] Recommendation of the [[W3C]], which states that names beginning 'x' 'm' 'l' are "reserved for standardization in this or future versions of this specification".<ref name="xml-w3c-rec">{{cite web
|url=http://www.w3.org/TR/2008/REC-xml-20081126/
|title=Extensible Markup Language (XML) 1.0 (Fifth Edition)
|publisher=[[World Wide Web Consortium]]
|date=2008-11-26
|access-date=2012-11-12}}</ref>

[[File:Ovale.gif|thumb|VML oval in Internet Explorer]]
[[File:VMLJoconde.jpg|thumb|VML Webart example<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://midiwebconcept.free.fr/Demos/MonaLisa.htm |title=Vector Mona Lisa |access-date=2011-08-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104143830/http://midiwebconcept.free.fr/Demos/MonaLisa.htm |archive-date=2013-01-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>]]

VML, when embedded within [[HTML]] markup, is read and processed by [[Microsoft Internet Explorer]] (but not other browsers); for example, the following example displays a solid blue oval:

<syntaxhighlight lang="xml">
<html xmlns:v>
<style>v\:*{behavior:url(#default#VML);position:absolute}</style>
<body>
<v:oval style="left:0;top:0;width:100;height:50" fillcolor="blue" stroked="f"/>
</body>
</html>
</syntaxhighlight>