# XML declaration

An XML file begins with an XML declaration, containing the XML version and the encoding information. For example,

`<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>`

`<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16" ?>`

If you create an XML document in Notepad, the file can be saved in UTF-8 or UTF-16 file format. If no declaration appears, UTF-8 format is assumed. If you save the file in Notepad with Encoding=Unicode, be sure the declaration at the top of the XML file specifies encoding="UTF-16".

Tip: | Notepad's Unicode file type corresponds to UTF-16 file format.

For files containing strings in English or other Latin-based languages, UTF-8 is recommended to reduce the size of the XML file. For other languages, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, UTF-16 is recommended.

You must specifically save as the desired encoding in Notepad. The default is to save to ANSI, and that format will not import properly.

## See also

About XML (Extensible Markup Language)

Graphic display XML file elements and attributes

Graphic display XML schema

Example: Graphic display XML file