Free online X84 to XML converter

What the X84 format is

.x84 is associated with X84 Internet/BBS software and related application data; it is not a universally defined interchange standard like XML. Files with this extension may contain configuration, user, message, or other service-specific records, so their structure depends on the producing application and version.

Identify the source program before converting. A file named data.x84 cannot be interpreted reliably from its extension alone, and renaming it to .xml does not convert its contents.

What the XML format is

XML stores hierarchical data as readable elements and attributes, for example <user><name>...</name></user>. Internet software uses XML for configuration, feeds, data exchange, and document transport because schemas can define field names, nesting, data types, and required values.

XML is text-based and widely supported, but it is usually more verbose than a binary or application-specific X84 file. It also does not preserve X84 semantics automatically; the converter must know how each source field maps to an XML element or attribute.

How to convert X84 to XML

1. Make a copy of the original file and record the X84-producing program and version.
2. Check whether the file is readable text or binary. A text editor can provide a first indication; on Unix-like systems, use file input.x84 and, for a binary preview, xxd -l 64 input.x84. Do not edit the original during this check.
3. Use the built-in converter on 101convert.com: upload the copied .x84 file, select XML as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting .xml file. This requires no installed software and is free when supported for the particular X84 variant.
4. Validate the output with an XML-aware tool. For example, xmllint --noout output.xml checks well-formedness; it does not confirm that the fields have the correct meaning.
5. Compare record counts, text encoding, dates, identifiers, and multiline fields with the source application. Test the XML by importing it into the intended destination rather than relying only on successful parsing.

If the converter does not recognize the file, use the X84 application's own Export, Backup, or Data conversion command first. If no export exists, conversion requires a format specification or a parser for that exact X84 variant; wrapping the raw bytes in an XML element only produces XML syntax around unusable data.

Quality and compatibility limitations

There is no single X84 schema that guarantees identical conversion across all files. Unsupported fields may be omitted, binary values may be represented as encoded text, and characters outside the source encoding may be replaced if the converter assumes the wrong charset. Preserve the original file and verify the output against the source application's records.

XML validation has two separate levels: well-formedness checks XML syntax, while schema validation checks whether elements, attributes, order, and data types meet a destination system's rules. Obtain the receiving system's XSD when available and validate against it before import.