XML::Easy is a collection of modules relating to the processing, parsing, and serialisation of XML data. It is oriented towards the use of XML to represent data for interchange purposes, rather than the use of XML as markup of principally textual data. It does not perform any schema processing, and does not interpret DTDs or any other kind of schema. It adheres strictly to the XML specification, in all its awkward details, except for the aforementioned DTDs.

XML::Easy strictly separates the in-program manipulation of XML data from the processing of the textual form of XML. This shields the XML user from the inconvenient and obscure aspects of XML syntax. XML data nodes are mainly processed in a clean functional style, using the XML::Easy::NodeBasics module. In the (very likely) event that an application requires some more purpose-specific XML data processing facilities, they are readily built on top of XML::Easy::NodeBasics, retaining the abstraction from textual XML.

When XML must be handled in textual form, for input and output, the XML::Easy::Text module supplies a parser and a serialiser. The interfaces here, too, are functional in nature.

There are other modules for some ancillary aspects of XML processing.