Open the XML document online. How to open an xml document

Not all, but many users of modern computer systems often encounter incomprehensible XML. Even fewer users know what kind of data this is and why it is needed. Well, only a few people understand what program to open. Although everything in this matter is quite simple, nevertheless, sometimes problems arise. Let's see what's what.

XML format - what is it?

Let's start with the fact that the XML format is a type of data created using a special Extensible language using commands that include a descriptive part of the properties or settings of an object based on tags and attributes.

In simple terms, XML is a text-based format somewhat similar to HTML hypertext markup, which is widely used on the Internet. Therefore, a preliminary solution to the problem of how to open an XML file in readable form can be to use almost any, even the most primitive text editor or viewer. But it’s not so simple here, since the files themselves can have completely different purposes.

What are XML files used for?

Before answering the question of how to open an XML file in normal form, let’s find out why these data types are needed.

Firstly, they can contain quite large amounts of information, for example, about music or video collections posted on the Internet. The files themselves are somewhat reminiscent of ID3 tags, which are used in MP3 files and contain data about the name of the artist, album, year of release, genre, etc. As for the XML format, the ability to add data to such files is practically unlimited, and the presented information can relate not only to a single object (track or film), but also to their entire set (albums, collections, etc.). The only limitation is the limit on the maximum possible number of lines in the text. This is what often causes problems when opening.

Secondly, such files are very often linked to specialized programs, and textual information contains data about some important settings of the application itself or about parameters specified by the user. For example, in any music program you can set your own parameters for one or more tracks, and then save them as a user template. And saving, as is probably already clear, occurs in XML format.

How to open an XML file in normal form: the simplest method

Now let's look at the easiest option for opening files of this type. Let's take Windows systems as an example. Typically, there is no default association for this format. As a result, it is impossible to open a file by double-clicking.

On the other hand, even if you apply this technique, any modification of Windows will initially provide a list of several most suitable applications or prompt the user to specify the executable EXE file by browsing.

The first thing that comes to mind in connection with the fact that the format is text is the choice of an editor of this particular type. In the list of programs, one of the first (if not the very first) offered is the standard “Notepad” - an application included in the mandatory set of any modification of Windows.

However, if you solve the problem of how to open an XML file in normal form, you can first launch Notepad itself, and then use the open command from the file menu or the standard Ctrl + O combination for all applications. It goes without saying, if this option is convenient , in the program selection menu you can set the use of this method for all files of this type, or in the menu you can select the program you are looking for, which will subsequently open this format by default (by double-clicking).

You can, of course, use any Internet browser to view it, but you won’t be able to edit the data - you can only view it as text, nothing more.

How to open an XML file in readable form: optimal programs

However, the matter is not limited to just simple things. You can just as easily use more powerful word processors like Microsoft Word. An XML file in Word will have exactly the same appearance as any other one, for example, in TXT format.

But it’s worth paying attention to the fact that alignment in Word, as well as formatting, is somewhat different from standard Notepad. Yes, you can view or edit data, but the structure of the document with all sorts of special indents (especially if there are sufficiently long lines) may be disrupted.

But what many people certainly don’t know is that the problem of how to open an XML file in normal form can be solved even using the MS Excel spreadsheet processor. True, this is where the row limitation comes into play. In other words, if a document contains too much data, the information will not be fully displayed.

But if we talk about how to open an XML file in a normal form, which is neither readable nor editable, then it is better to use original programs that allow you to create data of this type, but not all kinds of notepads, but special applications that support the language syntax. Among them, special mention should be made of Oxygen XML Editor, EditiX, XML Marker and the like. Here you need to clearly understand that such applications are initially “tailored” to the language and have many more capabilities compared to other text editors, even the most sophisticated ones.

Error opening XML format

So, we have sorted out the question of how to open an XML file in normal form. Now let's look at some errors when trying to open such data for viewing or editing. Typically, the application you are using may display a message that it cannot open the XML file because the integrity of the object you are looking for is broken. There can be any number of reasons for this (for example, an incomplete or suddenly interrupted download from the Internet).

Another failure can occur when it contains incorrect tags and attributes. In some cases, crashes may occur if the XML file is an email attachment. When you try to open it in standard programs like Outlook Express, the file is first saved as temporary data in the TMP format, and the program responsible for opening the original file you are looking for does not understand this extension. Therefore, it is better to first save the attachment in its original form and open it later.

What is the best way to work with XML files?

So we figured out how to open an XML file in normal form. What to use? In the simplest version, any text editor or the same spreadsheet processor is suitable for viewing. But if editing is required, and even with syntax support, you cannot do without specialized applications to avoid possible errors when entering commands.

XML is an extensible type of markup language. Databases, application settings, software package data, and other information can be stored inside a file with this extension. Such documents are widely distributed among users, so the question of how to open XML arises quite often.

Using text editors

An XML document contains textual information, so you don't need paid software to view it in a readable form. You can use a browser, any text editor built into Windows or from third-party developers, or special programs for working with the XML format.

Windows Notepad and its analogues

Windows initially includes a program that can work with any text - Notepad. You can find it in the list of standard applications in the Start menu. Along with it, another text editor is preinstalled - WordPad. It can also be used to view documents with an XML extension.

If you right-click on the XML file, then immediately below the “Open” item there will be a line “Edit”. When you click on it, the contents of the document will be displayed in Notepad. If you can’t open the file this way, or you want to use WordPad to view it, expand the “Open with” menu.

To read and edit XML documents, you can also use notepads from third-party developers: for example, NotePad++. It features syntax highlighting, which may seem convenient when editing a file.

Microsoft Office Suite

Instead of Notepad, WordPad and other similar programs, you can use applications from the Microsoft Office package - Word and Excel.

1. Launch Word.
2. Specify the path to the XML document.

The disadvantage of Word is that it is difficult to edit XML. Therefore, if you want to change some data, it is better to use Excel.

1. Launch Excel.
2. Expand the main menu, click "Open".
3. Select XML document.
4. Specify that you want to open it as an XML table.

If instead of the Microsoft Office application package, the OpenOffice application library is installed on your computer, then it’s okay: you can open XML through OpenOffice Calc, an analogue of Excel.

XML editors

If you need to not only see the contents of tables, but also edit them, then it is recommended to use special software designed to work with the XML format. The following editors can be used:

• XML Editor by Oxygen
• XML Marker
• Xsemmel
• EditiX Lite Version

The programs differ in the capabilities they provide: some have an XSLT transformation function for transforming XML documents, hints in the form of highlighted sections of code; others offer only viewing and minimal editing.

The choice depends on the needs and skills of the user, since the software is specialized. However, you can download the listed programs for free.

View via browser

If you suddenly don’t have a single text editor on your computer, or the XML doesn’t open in a readable form, you can use a browser or view the contents of the file online.

Browsers

All modern browsers support reading XML format. However, you need to understand that since there is no information in the document about how to display the data, web browsers show it “as is”. To use a browser to open (using Chrome as an example):

The launch is carried out in a similar way through other browsers. A new tab will open in your browser, displaying the contents of the XML document.

In Mozilla Forefox, you can open the file in another way:

If the file is damaged, the browser may display an error message when you try to open the document. In this case, it is recommended to use one of the XML editors listed above.

On every computer, even if it does not belong to a web developer, you can find at least several dozen XML files. Below we will look at what features this extension has, what it is used for, and how to open an XML file?

What is the XML format?

You are allowed to enter a comment in any part of the file, but for this you will need a special tag in the form of symbols. Comments cannot contain two hyphens in a row. Due to its simplicity, XML quickly became the primary format for exchanging data over the Internet.

What is it for?

Files with the XML extension contain basic text data and therefore do not require paid software to view and edit them. An XML document that stores a set of application parameters, a database, or any other important information can be easily opened using a simple system notepad.

But what if there is a need to change such a file once, without having the full functionality of an XML editor at hand and the desire or ability to use a separate program for this? In this case, you only need a browser and Internet access.

Any web browser can open the XML file for viewing, but to change its contents you will have to use one of the available online services.

Method 1: XmlGrid

This seemingly simple online editor is actually quite a powerful tool for working with XML documents. In it, you can not only create and modify files written in an extensible markup language, but also check their validity, design sitemaps and convert documents from/to XML.

You can start working with an XML file in XmlGrid either by uploading it to the site, or by placing the direct content of the document there.

Let's start with the second option. In this case, we simply copy all the text from the XML file and paste it into a field on the main page of the service. And then click on the button "Submit".


Another way is to upload an XML document from your computer.

There is also a third way to import an XML file into XmlGrid - downloading from a link.

Whatever method you use, the result will be the same: the document will be displayed as a table with data, where each field is a separate cell.


After editing the document, you can save the finished file in your computer's memory. To do this you need to use a small button "Save" at the top of the page.

The XmlGrid service is best suited for you if you need to make edits to a document at the level of individual elements or present its contents in tabular form for greater clarity.

Method 2: TutorialsPoint

If the previous service seemed rather specific to you, you can use a more classic XML editor. Such a tool is offered on one of the largest online resources in the field of IT education - TutorialsPoint.

We can go to the XML editor through an additional menu on the site.

The interface of this online solution is as clear as possible and contains all the necessary functionality for fully working with an XML document.

The editor is a space divided into two parts. On the left is the area for writing code, on the right is its tree view.

To upload an XML file to an online service, you will have to use the menu on the left side of the page, namely the tab "Upload File".

To import a document from a computer, use the button "Upload from Computer". Well, to download an XML file directly from a third-party resource, enter the link in the signature field "Enter URL to Upload" below and click "GO".

When you finish working with a document, you can immediately save it in your computer’s memory. To do this, use the button "Download" over a tree view of the XML code.

As a result, a file with the name "file.xml" will be immediately downloaded to your PC.

As you can see, this online XML editor can, if necessary, easily replace the corresponding computer program. It has everything you need: syntax highlighting, minimal tools for working with text, and a tree view of code in real time.

Method 3: Code Beautify

For working with XML documents online, the solution from the Code Beautify service is also perfect. The website allows you to view and edit a range of file formats, including, of course, those written in eXtensible Markup Language.

To open the XML editor directly, on the main page of the service under the heading "Popular Functionality" or "Web Viewer" find the button "XML Viewer" and click on it.

The interface of the online editor, as well as the functional component, is very similar to the tool already discussed above. Like the TutorialsPoint solution, the workspace is divided into two parts - an area with XML code ( "XML Input") on the left and its tree representation ( "Result") on the right.

You can upload a file for editing using the buttons "Load URL" And "Browse". The first allows you to import an XML document via a link, and the second allows you to import an XML document from your computer’s memory.

After you finish working with the file, its updated version can be downloaded to your computer as a CSV document or with the original XML extension. Buttons are used for this "Export to CSV" And "Download" respectively.

In general, editing XML files using the solution from Code Beautify is very convenient and intuitive: there is syntax highlighting, code representation in the form of a tree of elements, a scaled interface and a number of additional features. The latter include a function for quickly formatting an XML document, a tool for compressing it by removing spaces and hyphens, as well as instantly converting a file to JSON.