The XML editor is a markup language editor that allows you to edit XML documents.
If you want to learn and use XML very seriously, then you will definitely benefit from using a professional XML editor.
XML is a text-based markup language.
One important thing about XML is that it can be created and edited with a simple text editor like Notepad.
However, when you start working with XML, you will quickly find that it is better to use a professional XML editor to edit XML documents.
Many Web developers use Notepad to edit HTML and XML documents because Notepad is included with the most common operating systems and it is easy to use. Personally, I often use Notepad to quickly edit some simple HTML, CSS, and XML files.
However, if you use Notepad for XML editing, you may quickly discover a number of problems.
Notepad cannot determine the type of document you are editing, so it cannot assist you in your work.
XML is a very important technology nowadays and development projects are using these XML based technologies:
Use XML Schema to define the structure and data types of XML
Using XSLT to transform XML data
Using SOAP to exchange XML data between applications
Use WSDL to describe network services
Use RDF to describe network resources
Access XML data using XPath and XQuery
Use SMIL to define graphics
To be able to write error-free XML documents, you need a smart XML editor!
A professional XML editor will help you write error-free XML documents, validate the XML against a DTD or schema, and force you to create legal XML structures.
An XML editor should be able to:
Automatically add closing tags to opening tags
Forces you to write legal XML
Validate XML against some DTD
Validate XML against a Schema
Code colorize your XML syntax
At W3CSchool we have been using XMLSpy for many years. XMLSpy is our favorite XML editor. Here are some features we particularly like:
Available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions
Easy to use
Context sensitive people helper
Syntax coloring and pretty printing
Smart repair verification and automatic error correction
Easily switch between text view and grid view
Graphical XML Schema editor
Database import and export of all major databases
SharePoint® Server Support
Built-in templates for many XML document types
Chart creation showing XML data
Intelligent autocomplete for XPath 1.0/2.0
XSLT 1.0/2.0 editor, parser and debugger
XQuery editor, analyzer and debugger
SOAP client and debugger
Graphical WSDL 1.1/2.0 editor
XBRL Validation & Classification Editing
Support Office 2007/OOXML
Code generation for Java, C++ and C#
HTML5 and CSS3 support