How to View XML Files

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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.

Things You Should Know

  • You can view XML files in different ways including using a text editor, like Notepad or TextEdit, a web browser like Safari, Chrome, or Firefox, or an XML viewer.
  • Open your text editor or XML viewer, then open your XML to view it.
  • Drag and drop the XML file to your web browser to view it.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Using a Text Editor

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  1. 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.
  2. 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.
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  3. It's near the middle of the drop-down menu. A pop-out menu will appear. [1]
    • 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.
  4. Click Notepad on Windows, or click TextEdit on a Mac. Doing so will open the XML file's code in the text editor.
  5. 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.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using a Browser

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  1. Most popular web browsers can display XML files' code, though Microsoft Edge cannot: [2]
    • Google Chrome
    • Firefox
    • Safari
  2. 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.
  3. Open the XML file's location, then click and drag the file onto the browser window and drop the file there.
  4. 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.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using an XML Viewer

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  1. Go to https://codebeautify.org/xmlviewer 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.
  2. You'll find this button near the top of the window. Doing so opens a File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac) window.
  3. Go to the location of your XML file, then click the XML file once to select it.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How can I display an XML file as a database?
    Community Answer
    You need a program that "parses" the data into the database. MySQL (MariaDB) has a method called ''LOAD XML''.
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  • Question
    How are XML programs understood by a web browser?
    Community Answer
    The same way it interprets the HTML, CSS, Javascript, etc. languages. Web browsers are designed to translate the plain text information into graphics.
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    Not Helpful 7 Helpful 18
  • Question
    How can I open an XML file on a mobile phone?
    Community Answer
    You open it the same way you would open HTML files. The browser interprets it without problems.
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      Warnings

      • XML files often don't have specific formatting assigned to them, so you may end up looking at a jumble of coding language instead of a clear page.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/how-to-open-an-xml-file/
      2. ↑ https://pds.nasa.gov/datastandards/training/documents/How%20to%20View%20an%20XML%20File.pdf

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Find and right-click the XML file.
      2. Select Open With
      3. Click Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac).
      4. Review the XML file's code.

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