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How to make an XML file readable?

  • 22-05-2012 07:07PM
    #1
    barneysplash
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,205 ✭✭✭


    I have an xml file I would like to view as html.

    The xml file is just symbols and letters, I know
    this means something to programmers,
    but I'm not a computer programmer!

    I've looked around online, and from following some guides,
    it says to open the file in a web browser.

    I tried to open the file in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome.

    I get this message:

    "This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it.
    The document tree is shown below."

    I then looked around and tried to understand style information, but then
    it got technical above a level I can comprehend.

    I'm looking for a program that can
    translate the file to something readable.

    Is this possible?

    Thanks Barney


Comments

  • #2
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    If you have MS Excel of any recent form then try opening you XML file with that?

    Otherwise google for an XML Editor they format the XML so the data can be more easily read and edited.


  • #3
    barneysplash
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,205 ✭✭✭barneysplash


    I have Excel 2003, just tried as you said - still coming up as
    just symbols and letters.

    I had a look around online last night for an xml editor, but
    what I found on Google didn't seem reliable and safe.

    There were a lot of "FREE XML EDITOR 4 U!" types of program
    and suspicious advertisements, so I did not download any of them.

    Anyone out there know of a reliable, preferably free, xml editor?

    Thanks for your efforts!


  • #4
    baords dyslexic
    Closed Accounts Posts: 902 ✭✭✭baords dyslexic


    Try Notepad++
    http://notepad-plus-plus.org/

    you should see all the data in the file just like plain MS notepad but the data and tags will be in different colours so you can see more of whats going on.

    Then if you want safe then Microsoft have their own free XML notepad
    http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=7973

    btw whats the XML document you are looking at supposed to do and what data is in it, it could just be full of formatted data thats never going to be human readable.


  • #5
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    I just open XML files in a browser and it shows as a tree.


  • #6
    onemorechance
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,078 ✭✭✭onemorechance


    Notepad++ should be good to use if it's an encoding issue with the current applications that you try to use.


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  • #7
    stevenmu
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,688 Mod ✭✭✭✭stevenmu


    If there's just a big blob of random characters and symbols, then there's probably binary data encapsulated in the XML. If that's the case then it's not designed to be human readable and you'll need to use whatever piece of software the XML is designed for, or at least whatever piece of software the binary blob is for.

    If there are legible bits to the XML file then they may give some clues.


  • #8
    DublinDilbert
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,398 ✭✭✭DublinDilbert


    barneysplash wrote: »
    I have an xml file I would like to view as html.

    The xml file is just symbols and letters, I know
    this means something to programmers,
    but I'm not a computer programmer!

    I've looked around online, and from following some guides,
    it says to open the file in a web browser.

    I tried to open the file in Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome.

    I get this message:

    "This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it.
    The document tree is shown below."

    I then looked around and tried to understand style information, but then
    it got technical above a level I can comprehend.

    I'm looking for a program that can
    translate the file to something readable.

    Is this possible?

    Thanks Barney

    Can you post an example of the XML file you have? You should be able to understand certain elements of it, but just looking at it in note pad


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