XML Decoder

Decode XML entities back to their original characters

About XML Decoder

Overview

The XML Decoder changes XML entities back into their original characters, making the text easy to read. XML uses five special entities for characters that have a meaning in XML, like &amp; for an ampersand (&) and &lt; for a less-than sign (<). This tool finds and decodes these entities, as well as numeric ones.

Features

  • Decodes all five XML entities.
  • Changes &amp; to &, &lt; to <, &gt; to >, &quot; to ", and &apos; to '.
  • Works with decimal numeric entities (&#60;).
  • Works with hexadecimal numeric entities (&#x3C;).
  • Supports over 40 character encodings.
  • Lets you upload files up to 100MB.
  • Decodes in real time as you type.
  • Keeps the structure of your text.
  • One-click copy to clipboard.
  • Lets you download the result as a text file.
  • Swap input and output easily.
  • All work is done in your browser to keep your data private.
  • Has a dark mode for easier viewing.

How to Use

  1. Put your XML-encoded text in the input box, or upload a file.
  2. If your text has a special character encoding, choose it from the list. UTF-8 is a good choice for most XML.
  3. The tool decodes your text in real time as you type.
  4. It automatically handles all entity types.
  5. Use the "Copy" button to save the result, or "Download" to get it as a file.
  6. The "Swap" button lets you switch the input and output.

FAQ

What are XML entities?

XML entities are codes for special characters in an XML document. This is needed for characters that have a meaning in XML, like the less-than sign (`<`), which starts a tag. By using an entity (`&lt;`), you can put these characters in your text without breaking the XML.

What is the difference between XML and HTML entities?

XML has only five named entities: `&amp;`, `&lt;`, `&gt;`, `&quot;`, and `&apos;`. HTML has a lot more named entities for many special characters. Both XML and HTML can use numeric entities for any Unicode character.

Why do I need to decode XML entities?

You might need to decode XML entities to make the text readable to a person or to use it in a program that does not understand them. For example, if you get text from an XML file to show on a web page, you will need to decode the entities to show the original characters.