After downloading a file from the internet you realized that its extension is XML and you do not know how to open it? Do not worry because today we see how to open XML files to interpret them or to modify them. First, we’ll see what XML files are and why they are so often used on the internet. Are you ready?
What is the XML format?
Technically, XML is a markup language based on a syntax that allows to define and control the meaning of the elements contained in a text.
Less technically a right-hands a text file whose content is structured to contain structured data that can be interpreted by various software. For this reason it is considered one of the formats of data exchange between different software.
For this reason an XML file can be opened with any text editor starting from Windows Notepad. The problem is that the data within it is structured and therefore must be arranged, separated, interpreted and displayed so as to be easily consulted.
This is why there are many free online programs and services to edit XML files. Let’s see what they are.
How to open XML files
If your goal is to view an XML file, the easiest solution is to use one of the many online services that, instead of letting you download programs to use them only once, allow you to view their contents in the browser.
The most versatile of these services is Code Beautify. Simply upload the XML file via the Browse button or paste it into the text area of the left column.
The navigable structure of the XML file will appear in the right-hand column. You can also edit the content or use the Export to CSV button to export the XML file data to any spreadsheet such as Excel or Calc.
Another solution to open and edit an XML file is to use one of the many free software available on the internet. There are really many and just write on Google “Open XML file” to see the various solutions appear.
I advise you to use Microsoft’s XML Notepad, which in addition to being free is light and works very well. You can download it directly from the Microsoft website.
Its use is really simple because it is nothing more than a text editor to which a tree view has been added for structured data. Any changes made to the XML text are immediately visible in the data structure and any syntax errors are indicated in red.
As you can see of solutions to open XML files and edit them there are both online and offline. If you use an XML editor with which you feel comfortable report it using the comments below.