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MySQL to XML Converter

Transform MySQL database dumps into XML (Extensible Markup Language) format for data interchange and integration

MySQL Input

XML Output

About MySQL to XML Converter

Convert MySQL database dumps (CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements) to XML (Extensible Markup Language) format. XML is a widely-used markup language for storing and transporting data, commonly used in web services, configuration files, and data interchange between systems.

Key Features

  • Child Elements: Standard XML format with nested elements
  • Attributes: Compact format using XML attributes
  • Pretty Print: Formatted output with proper indentation
  • Custom Elements: Configurable root and row element names
  • XML Declaration: Optional XML version and encoding declaration
  • Special Character Escaping: Proper XML entity encoding
  • Element Name Sanitization: Ensures valid XML element names
  • File Download: Save as .xml file

How to Use

  1. Input MySQL Data: Paste your MySQL CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements or upload a .sql file
  2. Configure Elements: Set custom root and row element names
  3. Choose Format: Select child elements or attributes format
  4. Set Options: Toggle pretty print and XML declaration
  5. Copy or Download: Use the Copy or Download button to save your XML file

Output Formats

Child Elements (Default):

  • Each field is a separate child element
  • More verbose but easier to read
  • Better for complex data structures
  • Standard XML format

Attributes:

  • Fields stored as XML attributes
  • More compact representation
  • Good for simple, flat data
  • Faster parsing in some cases

Example Conversion

MySQL Input:

CREATE TABLE books (
  id INT,
  title VARCHAR(200),
  author VARCHAR(100),
  year INT
);

INSERT INTO books VALUES (1, 'The Great Gatsby', 'F. Scott Fitzgerald', 1925);
INSERT INTO books VALUES (2, '1984', 'George Orwell', 1949);

XML Output (Child Elements):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<data>
  <row>
    <id>1</id>
    <title>The Great Gatsby</title>
    <author>F. Scott Fitzgerald</author>
    <year>1925</year>
  </row>
  <row>
    <id>2</id>
    <title>1984</title>
    <author>George Orwell</author>
    <year>1949</year>
  </row>
</data>

XML Output (Attributes):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<data>
  <row id="1" title="The Great Gatsby" author="F. Scott Fitzgerald" year="1925"/>
  <row id="2" title="1984" author="George Orwell" year="1949"/>
</data>

Common Use Cases

  • Web Services: Export data for SOAP and REST APIs
  • Data Integration: Exchange data between different systems
  • Configuration Files: Create XML configuration files
  • ETL Processes: Extract, transform, and load data
  • Document Storage: Store structured data in XML databases
  • RSS/Atom Feeds: Generate feed data from database
  • XSLT Transformations: Prepare data for XSLT processing

XML Special Characters

The converter properly escapes XML special characters:

  • & → &amp;
  • < → &lt;
  • > → &gt;
  • " → &quot;
  • ' → &apos;

Element Name Rules

XML element names must follow these rules (automatically enforced):

  • Can contain letters, numbers, hyphens, underscores, and periods
  • Must start with a letter or underscore
  • Cannot start with "xml" (case insensitive)
  • Cannot contain spaces
  • Invalid characters are replaced with underscores

Pretty Print Benefits

  • Readability: Easy to read and understand structure
  • Debugging: Simpler to debug and troubleshoot
  • Version Control: Better diffs in Git/SVN
  • Manual Editing: Easier to edit by hand

Compact Format Benefits

  • File Size: Smaller file size for storage and transmission
  • Performance: Faster parsing in some scenarios
  • Bandwidth: Reduced network bandwidth usage
  • Production: Common for production environments

Supported MySQL Syntax

  • CREATE TABLE: Extracts column names for XML element names
  • INSERT INTO: Parses data values from INSERT statements
  • Data Types: Handles all MySQL data types (VARCHAR, INT, DECIMAL, etc.)
  • Quoted Strings: Handles single and double quotes with proper escaping

XML Technologies

  • XPath: Query language for selecting XML nodes
  • XSLT: Transform XML documents into other formats
  • XQuery: Query and manipulate XML data
  • XML Schema: Define structure and validation rules
  • DOM/SAX: Parse and process XML documents

XML Applications

  • SOAP: Web service protocol
  • RSS/Atom: Syndication feeds
  • SVG: Scalable vector graphics
  • XHTML: XML-based HTML
  • Office Open XML: Microsoft Office formats
  • Android: Layout and configuration files

Best Practices

  • Use Child Elements: For complex, hierarchical data
  • Use Attributes: For simple, flat data and metadata
  • Include Declaration: Always include XML declaration for clarity
  • Validate: Validate XML against schema when possible
  • Namespace: Use namespaces for large projects to avoid conflicts

Privacy & Security

All conversions happen locally in your browser. Your MySQL data is never uploaded to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security.