XMLXML Formatter
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a markup language used to store and transport structured data. It is widely used in configuration files, API responses, RSS feeds, SOAP web services, and more. Minified XML can be hard to read and difficult to debug. This tool helps you prettify, minify, and visually explore XML in a collapsible tree view.
How to Use
- 1Paste or load XML
Paste XML directly into the left pane, drag and drop a file onto it, or click 'Load Example' to load a sample document.
- 2Choose mode
'Format' mode applies indentation for readability; 'Minify' mode removes whitespace to produce the smallest possible output.
- 3Inspect the result
In 'Tree View', click any node to collapse or expand its children. Tags, attributes, and values are color-coded. Switch to 'Raw View' to see the formatted text output.
- 4Copy or download
Use the copy button to send the result to the clipboard, or click Download to save it as a .xml file.
Tips
- ๐กPaste an API response or SOAP message and format it to understand the structure at a glance.
- ๐กClick nodes in Tree View to collapse subtrees and focus on the parts that matter.
- ๐กMismatched or unclosed tags are reported with a descriptive error message.
- ๐กAll processing happens in the browser โ even sensitive config files stay private.
FAQ
- Q. What is the difference between XML and JSON?
- A. XML supports attributes, namespaces, mixed content, schema validation (DTD/XSD), and XSLT transformations. JSON is simpler and faster to parse. XML remains common in SOAP APIs, enterprise systems, and document formats like SVG and DOCX.
- Q. What is an XML namespace?
- A. Namespaces prevent element name conflicts when combining XML vocabularies. They are declared as xmlns:prefix="URI" and used as prefix:elementName. They are essential in SOAP, SVG, and other composite XML formats.
- Q. What is the difference between well-formed and valid XML?
- A. Well-formed XML follows basic syntax rules (properly nested tags, single root, etc.). Valid XML additionally conforms to a schema (DTD or XSD) that defines allowed elements and attributes.