// converters
XML to YAML.
Use the browser DOM parser to convert XML into a YAML map of elements and attributes.
XML input
YAML output
XML to YAML conversion.
XML and YAML are both hierarchical data formats, but they represent structure differently. XML uses opening and closing tags (<name>api</name>), while YAML uses indentation (name: api). This tool parses XML using the browser's DOMParser and reconstructs it as a YAML mapping.
The converter handles XML attributes, text content, nested elements, and mixed content. Attributes become YAML keys prefixed with @. Text content becomes a #text key. Multiple child elements with the same name become YAML sequences.
When to convert XML to YAML.
Legacy system integration. SOAP APIs, enterprise systems, and many older web services output XML. Convert the response to YAML for easier inspection, debugging, and use in YAML-based toolchains.
Config migration. Some tools use XML for configuration (Maven, Spring, Android manifests). Convert to YAML for use in modern YAML-based systems (Docker Compose, Kubernetes, CI/CD).
Data transformation. XML is verbose and hard to read by hand. YAML is more compact and human-friendly. Convert XML data to YAML for documentation, review, or manual editing before converting back.
Conversion details.
Elements become YAML keys. Attributes become keys prefixed with @: <item id="1"> becomes item: "@id": 1. Text content becomes the #text key. Repeated elements become YAML sequences. Mixed content (elements with both text and child elements) uses the #text key alongside child keys.
Limitations and tips.
The converter handles well-formed XML but not XML schemas, namespaces, or processing instructions. Namespaced tag names are preserved as-is. XML comments are dropped since YAML has no comment syntax that maps directly. For very large XML files (over 10 MB), consider chunking the input to avoid browser memory issues. The conversion happens entirely in your browser, so no data is sent to any server.
If your XML uses CDATA sections, the text inside them is extracted as plain content. Entities like < are decoded before conversion. The tool validates the XML structure before converting — malformed input produces an error message with the line number of the problem.
Practical examples.
A Maven POM file, an Android layout XML, or a CI/CD pipeline config in XML can all be converted to YAML for use in Docker Compose or Kubernetes manifests. SOAP responses from enterprise APIs become much easier to read once converted to YAML — the nested structure is identical but the syntax is far less verbose.
Tips for cleaner output.
Before converting, strip unnecessary XML declarations and processing instructions if your YAML consumer doesn't need them. If your XML uses attributes heavily, consider whether the @ prefix convention works for your use case or if you'd prefer to restructure the data as child elements first. Consistent element naming also helps — using lowercase, hyphen-free tag names produces the cleanest YAML keys.
For very large XML documents, convert in sections rather than all at once. This keeps browser memory usage manageable and makes it easier to verify each section's output before combining the results. The converter handles deeply nested structures well, but extremely wide documents (thousands of sibling elements) may take a moment to process.
FAQ
What's the simplest way to convert XML to YAML in Python?
Use `xmltodict.parse(xml_str)` then `yaml.safe_dump(dict_data)` — handles attributes as `@key` keys automatically; install via `pip install xmltodict`.
How do I preserve XML attributes when converting to YAML?
`xmltodict` puts attributes under the special `@` key; use `ruamel.yaml` with custom representers if you want them as top-level keys instead.
How do I convert a SOAP XML response to YAML for debugging?
Pipe through `xmllint --format` first for pretty XML, then `xmltodict` → `yaml.dump`; or use `yq -p=xml -o=yaml` (requires yq v4+).
How do I handle XML namespaces during XML-to-YAML conversion?
Namespaces become part of element names (`{http://...}tag`) in the dict; strip them with `xmltodict`'s `process_namespaces=True` flag or post-process in Python.
Can I convert XML with repeating elements to a YAML list?
Yes — `xmltodict` automatically converts repeating child elements to lists (when more than one); for mixed content use `OrderedDict` and check element types manually.