AML file extension

File extension aml is related to Microsoft's Assistance Markup Language (MAML), a XML based markup language used by "Longhorn" Help (now Microsoft Windows Vista).

MAML consists of several distinct content types, each one specific to a type of document. The MAML content types include: conceptual, FAQ, glossary, procedural, reference, reusable content, task, troubleshooting, and tutorial.

Content authored in MAML can be output to many different formats, including DHTML, XAML, RTF, and print. When MAML content is presented online, there are three levels of run-time transformation: structural, presentational, and rendering. Structural transformation uses reusable content and applies conditional logic, determining the content that will appear, and the structure of that content. The resulting MAML format document is then ready to move onto the presentational transformation stage. At this point, the content is transformed into one of the presentation formats (DHTML, XAML, or RTF). Rendering transformation is the final stage where stylesheets are applied and the content is displayed in its final form.

Simple Structure Example

<conceptual>
	<title />
    <content>
        		<para />
               		...  	
    </content>
    <sections>
     		<section>
            	<title />
                	<content>
                    	<para />
                        ...
           			</content>
       		</section>
       		...
   	</sections>
</conceptual>

Updated: December 31, 2024