How to Convert XML to JSON Files? Free & Reliable Ways

This guide will explain ways to convert XML to JSON format using Copy-Paste, Coding language, and best automatic offline solution for nested and complex data files. This write-up will answer all related question like does direct option available, how to do it manually and setbacks, and what is the alternate solution for nested and large XML files.

XML format uses nested tags and attributes to store large dataset in a hierarchical structure. On the other hand, JSON is a lightweight format as well as human-friendly. Multiple applications and database use this format to process data.

This article will guide you through various methods and tools on how to parse XML files to JSON, from manual approaches to leveraging powerful programming libraries and dedicated software.

How to Convert XML to JSON Format?

Transforming XML to JSON format is not an easy task, but we have suggested possible and easiest techniques below one by one:

• By Copying & Pasting
• Use Programming Libraries (Python, Java & JS)
• Using Professional XML to JSON Converter

Now, let us go through each method one by one in detail.

Method 1: Edit Manually

If your XML file contains small and simple structure then manually XML to JSON conversion quite easy and appropriate. Just change XML elements, attributes, and text into respective JSON objects, arrays, and values.

XML Example:

<book id="123">
    <title>The Great Gatsby</title>
    <author>F. Scott Fitzgerald</author>
    <year>1925</year>
</book>

Manually Conversion:

{
  "book": {
    "id": "123",
    "title": "The Great Gatsby",
    "author": "F. Scott Fitzgerald",
    "year": 1925
  }
}

Note: In JSON, numbers (like ‘year’) are typically represented as actual numbers, not strings.

This method is highly prone to errors and impractical for anything beyond trivial examples.

Method 2: Use Programming Libraries (For Technical Users)

As highly effective options for conversion from XML to JSON, strong programming libraries should be recommended and acknowledged for the automated conversion-then-automated phase. Let us take examples of well-known languages:

I. Python

In Python, there is a complete array of libraries to tackle XML and JSON. xmltodict is the most commonly used one, making it a very straightforward conversion.

First, install xmltodict:

pip install xmltodict

Python Code Example:

import xmltodict
import json

xml_string = """
<library>
    <book id="123">
        <title>The Great Gatsby</title>
        <author>F. Scott Fitzgerald</author>
        <genre>Fiction</genre>
    </book>
    <book id="124">
        <title>1984</title>
        <author>George Orwell</author>
        <genre>Dystopian</genre>
    </book>
</library>
"""

# Convert XML to Python dictionary
data_dict = xmltodict.parse(xml_string)

# Convert Python dictionary to JSON string
json_string = json.dumps(data_dict, indent=4) # indent for pretty-printing

print(json_string)

Output:

{
    "library": {
        "book": [
            {
                "@id": "123",
                "title": "The Great Gatsby",
                "author": "F. Scott Fitzgerald",
                "genre": "Fiction"
            },
            {
                "@id": "124",
                "title": "1984",
                "author": "George Orwell",
                "genre": "Dystopian"
            }
        ]
    }
}

Notice how xmltodict uses the @-prefix to denote attributes (like id) and repeats <book> elements as JSON arrays.

II. Java

In Java, libraries such as org.json (json-java) and jacksonare popularly used for transforming XML to JSON.

Using org.json:

First, add the json-20240303.jar (the latest version) to your library path in your project or, if you are using Maven, add this dependency in your XML file:

<dependency>
    <groupId>org.json</groupId>
    <artifactId>json</artifactId>
    <version>20240303</version>
</dependency>

Java Code Example (using org.json):

import org.json.JSONObject;
import org.json.XML;

public class XmlToJsonConverter {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String xmlString = "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"UTF-8\"?>\n" +
                           "<note>\n" +
                           "  <to>Tove</to>\n" +
                           "  <from>Jani</from>\n" +
                           "  <heading>Reminder</heading>\n" +
                           "  <body>Don't forget me this weekend!</body>\n" +
                           "</note>";

        try {
            JSONObject jsonObject = XML.toJSONObject(xmlString);
            System.out.println(jsonObject.toString(4)); // 4 for pretty-printing
        } catch (Exception e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Output:

{
    "note": {
        "to": "Tove",
        "from": "Jani",
        "heading": "Reminder",
        "body": "Don't forget me this weekend!"
    }
}

III. JavaScript

Users often opt for xml-js and xml2js When they use JavaScript to convert XML file to JSON format. This is especially the case when an application runs under Node.js or in a browser environment. Below is an example of the code:

Using xml-js (Node.js):

First, install xml-js:

npm install xml-js

JavaScript Code Example (using xml-js):

const convert = require('xml-js');

const xmlData = `
<data>
    <item id="A1">Value 1</item>
    <item id="B2">Value 2</item>
</data>
`;

// Convert XML to JSON with compact format and 2 spaces for indentation
const jsonResult = convert.xml2json(xmlData, { compact: true, spaces: 2 });
console.log(jsonResult);

Output:

{
  "data": {
    "item": [
      {
        "_attributes": {
          "id": "A1"
        },
        "_text": "Value 1"
      },
      {
        "_attributes": {
          "id": "B2"
        },
        "_text": "Value 2"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Note: Use compact: true to bring about the designation of XML attributes as _attributes and element text contents as _text.

Method 3: Offline XML to JSON Converter

As we suggest, if you are a non-tech savvy user, and have large, nested and complex structured XML files, which can’t be transform with manual methods, then use the mentioned software to convert XML to JSON. It’s a highly recommended solution to convert multiple XML files to JSON format. It retains the structure and elements during the process. Let’s learn more about the solution.

How to Transform XML to JSON Format? Tool’s Steps

1. Download and start the solution on MacOS and Windows.

   

2. Use the “Add Files” or “Add Folders” option to import the XML data you wish to convert.

   

3. From the available export options, choose “JSON” as the target format.

   

4. Select the desired destination folder for the converted JSON files.
5. Click the “Export” button to start the process to convert XML to JSON.

   

6. Once the conversion is complete, navigate to the output folder and verify the generated JSON files.

   

Wrapping It Up

Converting XML to JSON format is not an easy task, especially for non-technical users. So, we have explained best techniques for smooth process like edit codes manually, using programming libraries and an automated solution. First technique is best for small XML file; coding language is helpful for technical users.

And in case, you don’t have technical knowledge or have multiple large and nested data files then use the automated solution to convert XML to JSON. This software provides all possible features for smooth XML to JSON conversion. For any query, you can connect with us through live chat support.