The wlwmanifest.xml file is an XML document used by the Windows Live Writer, a desktop blog-publishing application developed by Microsoft. This file serves as a manifest that provides metadata about a blog service or platform, allowing Windows Live Writer to integrate with and understand the specifics of various blogging platforms.
The wlwmanifest.xml contains configuration settings and capabilities information that tell Windows Live Writer how to interact with the blogging platform:
Windows Live Writer was first introduced as a part of the Windows Live suite of applications in 2006. The wlwmanifest.xml became relevant as blogging platforms began to support or integrate with Windows Live Writer for a seamless blogging experience. By providing this XML file, blog platforms could customize how their service was presented and utilized within the Windows Live Writer application, ensuring compatibility and feature availability[1].
Blog platforms would typically host the wlwmanifest.xml file on their servers, and when a user sets up a new blog in Windows Live Writer, the application would fetch this file to understand the capabilities of the blog service. This allowed for:
The existence of the wlwmanifest.xml was crucial for ensuring that Windows Live Writer could work with a wide array of blogging platforms, enhancing user experience by providing a uniform interface regardless of the backend blogging system[2].
With the discontinuation of Windows Live Writer in 2017, the use of wlwmanifest.xml has significantly diminished. However, the concept of a manifest file to describe service capabilities is still relevant in other contexts where applications need to integrate with various services or platforms.