Convert XSL to XML

Understanding xsl and xml file formats

XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) is a language used for expressing style sheets for XML documents. It is primarily used to transform XML data into different formats, such as HTML or other XML structures, using XSLT (XSL Transformations). An XML (Extensible Markup Language) file is a markup language file that stores data in a structured, machine-readable format. XML is widely used for data exchange and storage.

Why convert xsl to xml?

Converting an XSL file to an XML file typically means extracting or transforming the stylesheet's structure or data into a standard XML format. This is useful if you need to analyze, edit, or repurpose the XSL content as plain XML data, or if you want to apply the XSL transformation to generate a new XML document.

How to convert xsl to xml

Since XSL files are themselves XML files (with a specific schema), you can often simply rename the file extension from .xsl to .xml if you only need to treat the stylesheet as a generic XML file. However, if you want to apply the XSL transformation to an XML file and generate a new XML document, you need to use an XSLT processor.

Best software for xsl to xml conversion

• Oxygen XML Editor: A professional XML editor that supports XSLT transformations. To convert, open your XML and XSL files, then use Transformation → Configure Transformation Scenario to apply the XSL and generate a new XML file.
• Saxon XSLT Processor: A powerful command-line tool for applying XSLT transformations. Use the command: java -jar saxon.jar -s:input.xml -xsl:stylesheet.xsl -o:output.xml
• Altova XMLSpy: Another robust XML editor with XSLT support. Open your files and use XSL/XQuery → XSL Transformation to produce the output XML.
• Online XSLT Converters: Websites like FreeFormatter XSL Transformer allow you to upload your XML and XSL files and download the transformed XML result.

Summary

To convert XSL to XML, you can either treat the XSL as XML by renaming the extension, or use an XSLT processor to apply the stylesheet to an XML file and generate a new XML document. Oxygen XML Editor and Saxon are highly recommended for this process.