Xml Tools Plugin For Notepad++ May 2026
Comparing two XML files in Notepad++’s Plugins > Compare plugin – pretty print first, then compare. 3. Minify (Compress XML) Menu Path: XML Tools > Minify
This is the hidden gem. XPath is a query language for XML. With XPath, you can extract specific data without writing a script.
Type <name> → the plugin can auto-insert </name> when you type </ (depending on settings). xml tools plugin for notepad++
This article is a deep dive into every feature, shortcut, and nuance of XML Tools. By the end, you’ll wonder how you ever debugged XML without it. XML Tools is not bundled with the default Notepad++ installer. You have two paths:
| Limitation | Consequence | Workaround / Alternative | |------------|-------------|--------------------------| | XPath 1.0 only | No lower-case() , no matches() regex. | Use a Python script inside Notepad++ (via PythonScript plugin). | | No XSD validation | Checks well-formedness, not schema validity. | Use xmllint (command line) or Oxygen XML. | | No XML diff | Can’t semantically compare two XML files. | Use Compare plugin (line diff) or dedicated XML diff tool. | | Memory limit | Files > 500MB may crash. | Use EmEditor or Large Text File Viewer . | | No built-in XML Schema generation | Can’t infer XSD from XML instance. | Use Trang (Java tool) or online converters. | Comparing two XML files in Notepad++’s Plugins >
Double-click on an opening tag, and the closing tag highlights (provided you have enabled Settings > Preferences > Highlighting > Tag matching ). Part 4: Configuration Deep Dive Not many users know that XML Tools has its own settings panel.
Convert an XML invoice into an HTML invoice for preview. Or transform XML to CSV for Excel. XPath is a query language for XML
Key settings: