SQL to XML Converter

About SQL to XML Converter

Convert SQL database dumps (CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements) to XML (Extensible Markup Language) format with customizable element names, attribute support, and formatting options. Perfect for data exchange, web services, and configuration files.

Key Features

• Customizable Element Names: Set custom root and row element names
• Attribute Mode: Use XML attributes or child elements for data
• Pretty Print: Format XML with indentation for readability
• XML 1.0 Compliant: Generates valid XML with proper escaping
• Element Name Sanitization: Converts column names to valid XML element names
• Smart Parsing: Extracts column names and data from SQL dumps
• File Download: Save as .xml file

How to Use

1. Input SQL Data: Paste your SQL CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements or upload a .sql file
2. Configure Element Names: Set custom root and row element names
3. Choose Format: Select between attributes or child elements
4. Toggle Pretty Print: Enable/disable formatted output
5. Copy or Download: Use the Copy or Download button to save your XML data

Output Format Options

• Child Elements: Each field becomes a child element (more verbose, better for complex data)
• Attributes: Fields become attributes of row element (more compact, better for simple data)
• Pretty Print: Formatted with indentation and line breaks
• Minified: Compact single-line output

Example Conversion

SQL Input:

CREATE TABLE products (
  id INT,
  name VARCHAR(100),
  price DECIMAL(10,2)
);

INSERT INTO products VALUES (1, 'Laptop', 999.99);
INSERT INTO products VALUES (2, 'Mouse', 24.99);

XML Output (Child Elements):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<data>
  <row>
    <id>1</id>
    <name>Laptop</name>
    <price>999.99</price>
  </row>
  <row>
    <id>2</id>
    <name>Mouse</name>
    <price>24.99</price>
  </row>
</data>

XML Output (Attributes):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<data>
  <row id="1" name="Laptop" price="999.99"/>
  <row id="2" name="Mouse" price="24.99"/>
</data>

Common Use Cases

• Data Exchange: Export database data for system integration
• Web Services: Generate XML for SOAP and REST APIs
• Configuration Files: Create XML configuration from database
• Data Migration: Export SQL data to XML for import into other systems
• RSS/Atom Feeds: Generate feed data from database
• Office Documents: Create XML for Office Open XML formats
• Android Resources: Generate XML resources from database

XML Advantages

• Universal Format: Widely supported across platforms and languages
• Self-Describing: Structure and data in one document
• Hierarchical: Natural representation of nested data
• Extensible: Easy to add new fields without breaking compatibility
• Validatable: Can be validated against XML Schema (XSD)
• Transformable: Use XSLT for transformations

Compatible Applications

• Web Services: SOAP, REST APIs
• Databases: SQL Server XML, Oracle XMLType
• Office Suites: Microsoft Office, LibreOffice
• Configuration: Spring, Maven, Ant, log4j
• Data Exchange: EDI, HL7, FIXML
• Publishing: RSS, Atom, XHTML
• Mobile: Android layouts and resources

XML Special Characters

The converter properly escapes XML special characters:

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

Supported SQL Syntax

• CREATE TABLE: Extracts column names for XML element/attribute names
• INSERT INTO: Parses data values for XML content
• Data Types: Handles all SQL data types (VARCHAR, INT, DECIMAL, etc.)
• Quoted Strings: Handles single and double quotes with proper escaping
• NULL Values: Omitted from XML output

Privacy & Security

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

FAQ

• Q: Do I need both CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements?
  A: Including both is recommended. CREATE TABLE gives accurate column names, while INSERT INTO provides the row data. If only inserts are present, the tool will infer column names from the insert list.
• Q: What is the difference between attributes and child elements?
  A: Attribute mode produces compact rows like <row id="1" name="Laptop" />, while element mode produces verbose rows with nested tags. Choose attributes for simple flat data and elements for richer or nested structures.
• Q: How are special XML characters handled?
  A: Reserved characters such as &, <, >, quotes, and apostrophes are automatically escaped so the resulting XML remains well-formed and safe to parse.
• Q: Why are NULL values omitted instead of included as empty tags?
  A: Omitting NULL fields keeps the XML cleaner and avoids ambiguous semantics. If you prefer explicit empties, you can post-process the XML and add tags like <field /> where needed.
• Q: Can I validate the generated XML against a schema?
  A: Yes. You can design an XSD that matches the chosen root and row element names and then validate the output with any standard XML validator.