Viewing XML Files

Raw XML files can be viewed in Mozilla, Firefox, Opera, Internet Explorer, and Netscape 6+.

However, to make XML documents display as nice web pages, you will have to add some display information.

Viewing XML Files

In Firefox and Internet Explorer:

Open the XML file (typically by clicking on a link) - The XML document will be displayed with color-coded root and child elements. A plus (+) or minus sign (-) to the left of the elements can be clicked to expand or collapse the element structure. To view the raw XML source (without the + and - signs), select "View Page Source" or "View Source" from the browser menu.

In Netscape 6:

Open the XML file, then right-click in XML file and select "View Page Source". The XML document will then be displayed with color-coded root and child elements.

In Opera 7 and 8:

In Opera 7: Open the XML file, then right-click in XML file and select "Frame" / "View Source". The XML document will be displayed as plain text. In Opera 8: Open the XML file, then right-click in XML file and select "Source". The XML document will be displayed as plain text.

Look at this XML file: note.xml

Note: Do not expect XML files to be formatted like HTML documents!

Viewing an Invalid XML File

If an erroneous XML file is opened, the browser will report the error.

Look at this XML file: note_error.xml

Other XML Examples

Viewing some XML documents will help you get the XML feeling.

An XML CD catalog
This is my father's CD collection, stored as XML data (old and boring titles I guess... :-)).

An XML plant catalog
This is a plant catalog from a plant shop, stored as XML data.

A Simple Food Menu
This is a breakfast food menu from a restaurant, stored as XML data.

Why Does XML Display Like This?

XML documents do not carry information about how to display the data.

Since XML tags are "invented" by the author of the XML document, browsers do not know if a tag like <table> describes an HTML table or a dining table.

Without any information about how to display the data, most browsers will just display the XML document as it is.

In the next chapters, we will take a look at different solutions to the display problem, using CSS, XSL, JavaScript, and XML Data Islands.

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