XML Editor¶

Last Updated: December 2025 | Version: 1.1.0

The XML Editor is the main feature of FreeXmlToolkit. It provides a powerful and easy-to-use interface for working with XML files.

Overview¶

XML Editor - Text Mode The XML Editor in text mode with syntax highlighting

XML Editor - Grid Mode The XML Editor in grid mode for structured editing

Button	Shortcut	Description
New	Ctrl+N	Create new XML document
Open	Ctrl+O	Open XML file
Save	Ctrl+S	Save current file
Save As	Ctrl+Shift+S	Save with new name
Recent	Ctrl+Shift+R	Open recent files menu
Undo	Ctrl+Z	Undo last change
Redo	Ctrl+Y	Redo undone change
Add Favorite	Ctrl+D	Add file to favorites
Favorites	Ctrl+Shift+D	Toggle favorites panel
Format	Ctrl+Alt+F	Pretty print XML
Validate	F5	Validate XML
Convert	Ctrl+E	XML/Excel/CSV converter
Query	Ctrl+Q	Run XPath/XQuery
Templates	Ctrl+T	Open template manager
Generator	Ctrl+G	Schema generator
XSLT Dev	Ctrl+Shift+T	XSLT development panel
Properties	Ctrl+P	Toggle properties panel
XPath	Ctrl+Q	Toggle XPath panel
Help	F1	Show help

Working with Files¶

Opening and Saving Files¶

File Operations File toolbar with Open, Save, and New buttons

Open Files: Click "Open" or use Ctrl+O to browse for XML files
Save Files: Click "Save" or use Ctrl+S to save changes
Save As: Use Ctrl+Shift+S to save with a new name
Create New: Click "New" to start with an empty XML document
Drag & Drop: Drag files from your file explorer into the editor
Recent Files: Quick access to recently opened files

Multiple Files¶

Open multiple XML files in separate tabs. Each tab shows the file name and indicates unsaved changes with an asterisk (*).

Editing Modes¶

Text Mode¶

Text Mode Editing Text editor with syntax highlighting

The text editor provides:

Syntax Highlighting: XML elements, attributes, and values are color-coded
Line Numbers: Every line is numbered for easy reference
Code Folding: Click arrows to collapse or expand sections
Auto-Completion: Type < to see suggestions for valid elements
Error Highlighting: Invalid XML is highlighted in red

Tree View¶

Tree view showing XML structure

See your XML document as a hierarchical tree
Drag and drop elements to reorganize structure
Right-click for context menu options
Double-click to edit element values

Grid Mode¶

Grid Mode Editing Grid editor showing table-like XML editing

The grid editor provides:

Table View: Edit XML data in a spreadsheet-like interface
Direct Cell Editing: Click cells to edit values directly
Easy Navigation: Move through the document using arrow keys
Sorting: Sort data by clicking column headers

Auto-Completion (IntelliSense)¶

Auto-completion popup showing element suggestions

The editor automatically suggests valid elements and attributes based on your XSD schema:

Type < to see a list of valid child elements
Navigate through suggestions with arrow keys
Press Enter to insert the selected element
Press Escape to close the suggestions

The suggestions are context-sensitive - only elements valid at your current position are shown.

Learn more: Auto-Completion Guide

Formatting Tools¶

Pretty Print¶

Pretty Print Before Before pretty print

Click Format or use Ctrl+Alt+F to format your XML with proper indentation.

Pretty Print After After pretty print

Validation¶

Validation Results Validation panel showing errors and warnings

How to Validate¶

Click Validate or press F5
If your XML references a schema, it's loaded automatically
Errors and warnings appear in the validation panel
Click an error to jump to the problem location

Supported Validation Methods¶

Method	Description
Well-Formed Check	Ensures basic XML syntax is correct
XSD Validation	Validates against XML Schema files
Schematron	Validates against business rules

Supported Schema Formats¶

Format	Support
XSD (XML Schema)	Full support (1.0 and 1.1)
Schematron	Full support
DTD	Not supported
RelaxNG	Not supported

XPath and XQuery¶

XPath Query XPath panel with query input and results

Use XPath and XQuery to find and extract data from your XML documents.

Using the XPath/XQuery Panel¶

Toggle the panel with Ctrl+Q or click the XPath button
Choose XPath or XQuery tab
Enter your expression
Click Execute Query
View results in the editor (matching nodes are highlighted)

XPath Examples¶

Expression	Description
`//element`	Find all elements named "element"
`//element/@attr`	Find all "attr" attributes on "element"
`/root/child[1]`	Find the first child of root
`count(//item)`	Count all item elements
`//text()`	Find all text nodes

XQuery Examples¶

Expression	Description
`for $x in //item return $x`	Return all items
`for $x in //item where $x/@id='1' return $x/name`	Filter and return

Use the Examples menu for quick insertion of common expressions.

XML/Excel/CSV Converter¶

Click Convert (Ctrl+E) to open the converter dialog:

XML to Excel: Export XML data to Excel spreadsheet
XML to CSV: Export XML data to CSV file
Excel to XML: Import Excel data as XML
CSV to XML: Import CSV data as XML

Templates¶

Click Templates (Ctrl+T) to access the template manager:

Insert pre-defined XML snippets
Create your own templates
Organize templates by category

Learn more: Template Management

Schema Generator¶

Click Generator (Ctrl+G) to generate an XSD schema from your XML:

Analyze XML structure
Generate matching XSD schema
Customize type detection

Favorites¶

Save frequently used files for quick access:

Add Favorite (Ctrl+D) - Save current file to favorites
Favorites (Ctrl+Shift+D) - Show/hide favorites panel

The favorites panel appears on the right side.

Learn more: Favorites System

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+N	New file
Ctrl+O	Open file
Ctrl+S	Save file
Ctrl+Shift+S	Save As
Ctrl+W	Close tab
Ctrl+Z	Undo
Ctrl+Y	Redo
Ctrl+F	Find
Ctrl+H	Replace
Ctrl+G	Go to line
Ctrl+D	Add to favorites
Ctrl+Shift+D	Toggle favorites
Ctrl+Alt+F	Format/Pretty Print
Ctrl+Q	Toggle XPath panel
Ctrl+E	XML/Excel converter
Ctrl+T	Templates
Ctrl++	Zoom in
Ctrl+-	Zoom out
F5	Validate
F1	Help
`<`	Open auto-completion

Tips¶

Multiple Files: Open multiple XML files in different tabs
Remember Location: The editor remembers the last folder you used
Font Size: Use Ctrl++ and Ctrl+- to adjust font size
Quick Validation: Errors are highlighted as you type
Drag & Drop: Drag files directly into the editor window
Recent Files: Use the Recent menu for quick access

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