A set of codes in a text file that instruct a computer how to format it on a printer or video display or how to index and link its contents. Examples of markup languages are Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) and Extensible Markup Language (XML), which are used in Web pages, and Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML), which is used for typesetting and desktop publishing purposes and in electronic documents. Markup languages of this sort are designed to enable documents and other files to be platform-independent and highly portable between applications.