Auto Splitters can provide multiple things like: - Automatically split for you (the name implies that ⁾ - Automatically start the Timer for you - Automatically reset the Timer for you (only makes sense for some games) - Provide Game Time / Time without Loads (LiveSplit can record both Real Time and Game Time, but Game Time needs to be provided by some component, like an Auto Splitter)

Auto Splitters usually directly read from the RAM to do all of these things. LiveSplit directly provides you with all kinds of Auto Splitters by suggesting you an Auto Splitter in your Run Editor based on the name of the game. If you choose to use one, LiveSplit automatically downloads it for you and activates it. Auto Splitters can either be a full on component for LiveSplit or a simple script that tells LiveSplit where to find certain variables in RAM and when to split / reset / start and how Game Time is calculated from those (all of these are optional). LiveSplit then does all of this for you automatically, without you needing to compile a full on component (which requires quite some effort, but is still usually a bit more powerful).

The XML posted by the OP is the actual URL of LiveSplit where it pulls its information about which Auto Splitters are available from. This is publicly available since we suggest people extending the list with new Auto Splitters by doing a Pull Request on GitHub. Unfortunately some people forget to do this, so the list my not include every one of the Auto Splitters people made.

Also there's obviously LiveSplit independent Auto Splitters which simply are external programs that simulate Key Presses, but can't provide Game Time.

LiveSplit actually has some way to directly communicate with external Auto Splitters though. PokeBot communicates with LiveSplit like this and can tell LiveSplit when to split / reset / start and can provide the Game Time, so that's possible to.