Hey everyone! I've been dealing with a lot of messy XML lately, like legacy API responses, sitemap files, and configuration dumps. Usually, I just copy them into VS Code, but sometimes I need a quick online formatter or validator without starting a whole new project. I found Toolsping's XML formatter, and it looks pretty straightforward, but I'm curious about what tools others are using. Do you have any tips, whether it's browser-based tools, web extensions, or something integrated into your development stack? I'd love to simplify this process a bit and appreciate any recommendations!
7 Answers
I mainly stick with the built-in formatter in VS Code, using a helpful XML extension. It does the trick for me without any fuss.
I’ve used online XML formatters, but I steer clear for sensitive data. They’re okay for non-sensitive stuff but always a risk with anything production-related.
CyberChef has an "XML Beautify" tool that’s run right in the browser, along with a bunch of other handy tools. There’s no server needed, and it works great for basic formatting. Otherwise, I stick with VS Code and sometimes use xmllint for validation in scripts.
I’ve seen this kind of post pop up multiple times, always mentioning that Toolsping site. Seems a bit promotional to me...
I hadn’t heard about Toolsping before. By the way, does it validate XML against any schema?
From what I read, it seems to focus on formatting, with some basic validation features. Not sure about XSD validation yet, though. That’s part of why I asked—wondering if there are better go-to tools for that!
I pretty much use plain old VS Code too. What specific formatting issues are you dealing with? I’ve had success using AI for formatting Markdown when it got messy after pasting from our repo into an email—might be worth trying!
Thanks for that suggestion! So I just go to GPT and follow some steps? How does that work?
VS Code's formatter is great, but you can make it even faster by binding it to a keyboard shortcut in keybindings.json. That way, you won’t have to dig through the command palette every time you need it!
Totally agree! Only safe for test data or public feeds. Thanks for the reminder!