Content

• Steps

XML (Extended Markup Language) file does not perform any action. They are just places to store data that you can easily read by other programs. Many programs use XML to store data. Put simply, you can open, edit and create an XML file in any text editor. XML is similar to HTML, except that XML is for storage, and HTML for displaying data. HTML uses predefined tags as well, while XML uses whatever tags the file creator needs.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Use a text editor

1. 

   Find the XML file to open. XML is encrypted in plain text, so you can explicitly open and read the file with any text editor.

2. 

   
   
   Right click on the XML file and select "Open With". You will see a list of programs.

3. 

   Select "Notepad" (Windows) or "TextEdit" (Mac). These are all text editors that come pre-installed in each operating system and are on the list.
   • If the programs are not on the list, you need to browse for them. Notepad is located, and TextEdit is in the Applications folder.
   • While a simple editor can see all the information with a simple editor, more advanced code editors like Notepad ++ or TextMate will accommodate the syntax highlighting and advanced editing.

4. 

   
   
   Decode text on screen. The XML file will open in the editing program. The complexity of the content depends on the intended use. Use the tag label to find the information you need. In general the labels are quite easy to understand, you can go through the data and find the information you need.
   • You will see the same content as at the top. This shows that the next part is XML format.
   • XML uses custom tags to hold pieces of data.Each tag is created to be used by any program, so there is no general syntax for the markup. For example, an XML file may have sections, another file may have sections, but both have similar functionality.
   • Tags can be nested and form a tree structure. For example, each card can contain multiple tags inside, like and.
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Method 2 of 4: Use a web browser

1. 

   
   
   Find the XML file you want to open. Although you can use any simple text editor to open the XML format (see above), it is easier to navigate in the browser. Most browsers automatically indent nested tags and allow you to collapse each branch of the XML tree.

2. 

   Right click the file, hover over the item "Open With" and select the program you want to use.

3. 

   Select a web browser from the list. You can use any web browser to open XML files. Usually, your web browser is already in the list of suggested programs. If not, you need to browse it on your computer.

4. 

   Read XML data in the browser. The XML file will open in a new tab in your browser. The browser will display all the content and automatically indent nested tags. You will easily identify which data belongs to which collection.

5. 

   Expand or shrink sections for better readability. The advantage of using a browser to read an XML file is its content control feature. Click the arrows or +/- buttons next to each section to expand or shrink them. advertisement

Method 3 of 4: Use Excel

1. 

   Open Excel. Excel isn't usually on the list of suggestions, so the quickest way is to open the program first.
   • Excel can convert XML files into tables, making it easy to process information visually.

2. 

   Click "File" and choose "Open". The Open menu will open.

3. 

   Click the "Browse" button to browse for the file on your computer.

4. 

   Open the XML file on your computer. You can navigate and find the file as you normally would, otherwise click the "Type" menu and select "XML Files."

5. 

   Choose "As an XML table" (As an XML table) to convert XML files into Excel tables.
   • You will be prompted that the XML file is not in schema format. Click "OK" to let Excel begin building the table based on the tags in the file.

6. 

   Read XML data. The XML file will be arranged into a table based on the tag structure. You can use the Excel sorting and filter tools to customize your table.
   • You may have difficulty rendering complex XML files into tables. If the XML data consists of nested tags, you need to use an XML viewer.
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Method 4 of 4: Use XML viewer

1. 

   Loads an XML file viewer. If you have to work with multiple XML files, you should use an XML viewer or editor. They will process complex XML files a lot easier. There are a variety of options, both free and paid, of which XML Explorer is a free, open source () reader.
   • Different programs will meet different needs. If you need to create multiple XML files then you should use a professional XML editor. They will allow you to automate and collaborate with many people on large XML projects.

2. 

   Open the XML file in a new program. Many XML-specific programs will become the default program for XML files, so you can just double-click the file to open it. If not, right-click the XML file, choose "Open With" and browse for the program you just installed.

3. 

   Read XML data. Programs like XML Explorer let you collapse sections as well as enable / disable syntax highlighting. The more advanced programs also allow us to edit and create more entries. advertisement