What Is XML File Format? How to Open and Convert XML to CSV?

This article describes what an XML file is, where it is used, which programs can open it, and how to convert it to other text formats such as JSON, PDF, or CSV.

what is xml file

What is XML file format?

XML files, originally called Extensible Markup Language files, are purely textual files that have no additional functionality other than describing the transmission, structure and storage of data.

A typical example of the use of XML files is RSS feeds.

Some XML files can be opened using the Cinelerra movie editing program, which stores information about the settings associated with the project, such as past edits to the project list, and the path to the media file.

While XLM files are similar to XML, and it does look relevant, they are actually quite different.

How do I open an XML file?

There are many programs that can open XML files, such as the online tool Code Beautify XML Viewer.

There are also programs that can edit XML files, such as Notepad++, XML Notepad 2007, EditiX and Adobe Dreamweaver, but they are not free, so you can only use the trial version. The most popular software for Windows users is probably Visual Studio Code.

XML files can be easily opened and viewed, but that doesn’t mean it’s a panacea, and many programs are using XML as a standard for storing data. But to use an XML file, you need to know what data is being stored.

For example, MusicXML is an XML file that stores sheet music information. You can open it in any text editor and look up the data in it, but it’s really only useful in programs like Finale NotePad.

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Since XML files are text files, any text editor, including the notepad tool that comes with Windows, will be able to display and edit the XML file correctly. However, the professional XML file editors mentioned above can of course manipulate and edit it better.

The XML files in the Cinelerra movie project can be opened with the Cinelerra software for Linux. The program used to be divided into two programs, called Heroine Virtual and Community Version, but now they have been merged into a single software.

If you still can’t open the XML file at hand, make sure you haven’t confused it with a file with a similar extension, such as XMP, XMF or ML.

How to convert XML files to PDF, CSV or other formats?

The best way to convert an XML file to another format is to use a text editor as mentioned above. A program that can create an XML file is likely to have the ability to convert it as well.

For example, a text editor that opens and edits an XML text file can usually also save it in another text format, such as TXT, but this format conversion does not change much other than the subfile name.

A faster way is to use Code Beautify’s online tool, XML to JSON Converter, to paste the XML text content onto a web site and then download the file in “.JSON” format, which you can open directly in your browser or load from a JSON” format, you can open it directly in your browser or load it from a URL.

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Of course, XML to JSON Converter is only useful when converting to JSON format, but don’t worry, there are also free online tools for converting to other file formats for you to use.

There are also some free converters to convert other files to XML.

Usually you cannot directly change the subfile name to run in another format, you must use the above method to do the actual file format conversion. However, since XML is a text file, renaming the filename directly may work in some cases.

Frequently Asked Questions about XML files

How to open an XML file in Excel?

In Excel, select “File > Open File”, and then select your XML file. In the pop-up window, select XML format. This will display your XML file in a table in Excel. However, not every XML file can be displayed as a table properly.

How to open an XML file in Word?

In Word, select “File > Open File”, and then select your XML file. It will open the file in Word. However, if the XML file is not specifically designed for Word, then the XML file may be difficult to use directly in Word.

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