How to Format XML In Notepad++?

7 minutes read

To format XML in Notepad++, follow these steps:

  1. Open Notepad++ application.
  2. Go to "Plugins" in the menu bar and select "XML Tools."
  3. A sub-menu will appear. Click on "Pretty Print (XML only with line breaks)."
  4. Now, open the XML file you want to format in Notepad++.
  5. Select the entire XML code by pressing CTRL + A.
  6. Go back to the "Plugins" menu and choose "XML Tools" again.
  7. This time, select "Pretty Print (XML only with indents)."
  8. The XML code will now be properly indented and formatted, making it easier to read and navigate.
  9. You can also use keyboard shortcuts to format XML. Press CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + B to automatically format the XML code.


Formatting the XML in Notepad++ helps to improve readability, making it easier to identify the hierarchy and structure of the XML elements.

Best XML Books to Read in 2024

1
XML in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

Rating is 5 out of 5

XML in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

2
Learning XML, Second Edition

Rating is 4.8 out of 5

Learning XML, Second Edition

3
XML All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies

Rating is 4.8 out of 5

XML All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies

4
Java XML and JSON: Document Processing for Java SE

Rating is 4.7 out of 5

Java XML and JSON: Document Processing for Java SE

5
XSLT Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for XML and XSLT Developers, 2nd Edition

Rating is 4.6 out of 5

XSLT Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for XML and XSLT Developers, 2nd Edition

6
XML Step by Step, Second Edition (Step by Step (Microsoft))

Rating is 4.5 out of 5

XML Step by Step, Second Edition (Step by Step (Microsoft))

7
Microsoft Access 2019 Programming by Example with VBA, XML, and ASP

Rating is 4.4 out of 5

Microsoft Access 2019 Programming by Example with VBA, XML, and ASP


How to open an XML file in Notepad++?

To open an XML file in Notepad++, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Notepad++ on your computer.
  2. Select "File" from the top menu.
  3. Click on "Open" or press Ctrl+O.
  4. Browse to the location where the XML file is saved on your computer.
  5. Select the XML file you want to open and click "Open" in the File Explorer dialog.
  6. The XML file will open in a new tab in Notepad++, where you can view and edit its contents.


Note: If you don't see the XML file in the file browser dialog, make sure to change the file type filter to "XML Files (*.xml)" to show only XML files.


What is the XML tag matching feature in Notepad++ and how to use it?

The XML tag matching feature in Notepad++ is a useful tool that helps users navigate and work with XML code more effectively. When enabled, it highlights the opening and closing tags of an XML document, making it easier to identify the structure and hierarchy of the data.


To use the XML tag matching feature in Notepad++, you can follow these steps:

  1. Open Notepad++.
  2. Go to the "Plugins" menu and select "XML Tools".
  3. In the "XML Tools" submenu, enable the "Tag auto-close" and "Tag match highlighting" options.
  4. Open an XML file or create a new one.
  5. As you write XML code, Notepad++ will automatically close the opening tag when you enter the closing angle bracket (>). For example, if you type .
  6. When your cursor is on a closing tag or an opening tag, Notepad++ will highlight the corresponding opening or closing tag in the document. This helps in identifying the start and end of different XML elements.


The XML tag matching feature greatly enhances the readability and coding experience when working with XML documents in Notepad++. It simplifies navigation and debugging, ensuring that XML tags are properly closed and elements are well-formed.


How to remove extra spaces from XML code in Notepad++?

To remove extra spaces from XML code in Notepad++, you can utilize the built-in regex capabilities. Here's a step-by-step guide:

  1. Open your XML file in Notepad++.
  2. Press Ctrl + H to open the "Find and Replace" window.
  3. In the "Find what" field, enter the following regex pattern: \h+ This pattern will match one or more consecutive spaces or tabs.
  4. Leave the "Replace with" field empty.
  5. Enable the "Regular expression" search mode.
  6. Click on the "Replace All" button to remove all extra spaces from the XML code.
  7. Save the modified file.


The regex pattern will find all occurrences of multiple consecutive spaces and replace them with nothing, effectively removing the extra spaces in your XML code.


What is the shortcut for commenting/uncommenting XML code in Notepad++?

The shortcut for commenting/uncommenting XML code in Notepad++ is:

  • Comment: Ctrl + Q
  • Uncomment: Ctrl + Shift + Q


Note: These shortcuts work for both single-line and multi-line comments in XML code.

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Whatsapp Pocket

Related Posts:

To validate XML in Notepad++, you can follow these steps:Open Notepad++ and ensure that the XML file you want to validate is open in the editor. Install the "XML Tools" plugin if you haven't already. To do this, click on "Plugins" in the me...
Merging XML files involves combining multiple XML documents into a single XML file. It can be done through various methods using programming languages such as Java, Python, or tools designed specifically for XML operations.To merge XML files, you typically fol...
To read XML in Python, you can use the built-in xml module. Here are the steps to read XML data:Import the xml.etree.ElementTree module: import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET Parse the XML file using the ET.parse() function: tree = ET.parse('path/to/xml/file....
In Java, you can validate XML documents against a specified XML Schema Definition (XSD) using various methods. Here is an overview of how to validate XML in Java:Set up the necessary imports: import javax.xml.XMLConstants; import javax.xml.transform.Source; im...
To read XML in Java, you can use the Java XML API, which provides several libraries and classes to parse and process XML files. Here is a step-by-step approach to reading XML in Java:Import the required classes and libraries: Import the javax.xml.parsers packa...
Parsing XML in jQuery is a straightforward process that can be achieved using the built-in functions and methods provided by jQuery. Here is a brief explanation of how to parse XML in jQuery:Load the XML data: Use the $.ajax() function to load the XML document...