How to View XML Files
This wikiHow teaches you how to view an XML file's code. You can do this on any computer by using the built-in text editor, a browser, or an online XML viewer. Find the XML file. You can use your computer's 'Open With' feature to open the...
Method 1 of 3:
Using a Text Editor
- Find the XML file. You can use your computer's "Open With" feature to open the XML file in a text editor, which will allow you to see the XML file's code in plain-text form.
- Right-click the XML file. Doing so will prompt a drop-down menu.
- On a Mac, click on the XML file, then click File in the upper-left side of the screen.
- Select Open with. It's near the middle of the drop-down menu. A pop-out menu will appear.
- On a Mac, you'll find Open With in the File drop-down menu.
- If you don't see Open with on Windows, click once the XML file to select it, then right-click the file.
- Select your computer's text editor. Click Notepad on Windows, or click TextEdit on a Mac. Doing so will open the XML file's code in the text editor.
- Review the XML file's code. While the XML file's actual formatting (if present) won't display due to being opened in a text editor, you will be able to see the code that was used to create the XML file.
- If you want to see the XML file's formatting, try using a browser or using an XML viewer.
Method 2 of 3:
Using a Browser
- Open your preferred browser. Most popular web browsers can display XML files' code, though Microsoft Edge cannot:
- Google Chrome
- Firefox
- Safari
- Open a new tab. Click the "New Tab" button, which is usually to the right of the right-most tab at the top of the window, to do so.
- In most web browsers, you can also press Ctrl+T (Windows) or ⌘ Command+T (Mac) to open a new tab.
- Drag the XML file into your browser. Open the XML file's location, then click and drag the file onto the browser window and drop the file there.
- Review the results. Dragging and dropping your XML file into the browser will prompt the browser to display the XML file's code in a "tree" view.
- You can click the + or - (or, if you're using Chrome, the triangle) to the left of a main tag in the XML code to minimize or expand the code.
Method 3 of 3:
Using an XML Viewer
- Open the XML Viewer website. Go to http://www.xmlviewer.org/ in your computer's web browser. This viewer allows you to upload an XML file to view its code, as well as choose different viewing formats.
- Click Browse. You'll find this button near the top of the window. Doing so opens a File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window.
- Select your XML file. Go to the location of your XML file, then click the XML file once to select it.
- Click Open. This option is in the bottom-right corner of the window. Your XML file will be uploaded to the viewer, and its code will be displayed on the left side of the page.
- Click Format. It's a button in the middle of the window. Doing so will cause your XML file's text to display in color-coded format in the "Result" window on the right side of the page.
- Sections of XML which are the same (non-black) color correspond to each other. For example, green text refers to tags.
- Use the file's "Tree" view. Clicking the green Tree button in the middle of the page will format the "Result" window, making the code easier to read.
- You can click each of the headings in the "Tree View Result" window to minimize or expand them.
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