Final answer:
By the mid-1990s, c. Extensible Markup Language (XML) was established as a standard for storing and exchanging varied data formats.
Step-by-step explanation:
By the mid-1990s, Extensible Markup Language (XML) was used as the standard to store and exchange structured and unstructured data. XML is a flexible text format that facilitates the sharing of data across different information systems, particularly via the internet. Unlike HTML, which focuses on displaying data, XML is designed to transport and store data, with the emphasis on what data is. It allows designers to create their own custom tags, enabling the definition, transmission, validation, and interpretation of data between applications and between organizations.