XML-Spy enables a detailed introduction to the XML editing process

XML Spy version 4.4 contains some new features, and it also supports parts of the latest W3C specifications.

by Dan Wahlin

XML Spy is a popular XML editor for many developers, and the latest version released by Altova is sure not to disappoint. If you haven't used XML Spy before, you may not understand many of its features, including how to work with XML documents, XSLT, XSL, schemas, DTDs, and others. In the XML Spy4.4 version, some features not found in the 3.5 version have been added, and it also supports part of the W3C specification.

XML Schemas

The XML Schema standard released by W3C in May 2001 marked the advent of a more powerful method for validating and describing XML documents. XML Spy enables developers to more flexibly use schema specifications and design schema in visual interfaces and code interfaces. This visual editor allows you to define a complex schema relationship and provides a powerful attribute editor to help you remember the elements and parameters of different schema languages (see Figure 1). XML Spy also features schema archiving, so you can generate detailed documentation with just a few clicks. This kind of document is very useful for companies that need to understand the details of various schema.

XSLT and XSL

Do you want to visually design your XSLT stylesheet? In addition to the visual XSD schema editor, XML Spy version 4.4 also includes a visual XSLT editor (see Figure 2). This editor allows you to load an XML schema so that you can understand the structure of the XML document you want to convert. After assigning the XML source document to the schema (so you can work with real data), you can drag different elements and parameters onto the design interface. At the same time, different HTML style properties are concentrated in a property window box so that they can be easily modified and get the corresponding XSLT results.

XML Spy4.4 also supports the latest XSL specification and can use the Java Formatting Objects class to convert XML documents into accurately formatted PDF documents. The code was just adopted in October, so it is very effective.

Database connectivity

XML Spy can save you a lot of time and effort when converting different data into XML format. It supports input of text files, databases and Word documents. You can use ADO or ODBC to access the database. You simply tell the editor where your data is located, and it will read the data and write the correct XML code for you. Another time-saving feature is its ability to generate database schemas. These features will help you use DataSet in .NET to map existing XML documents to database tables and fields.

SOAP Debugger

The SOAP debugger allows you to easily find the SOAP terminal and see different request and response messages. While some standalone products allow you to capture SOAP messages being transmitted "online", XML SPY integrates this feature into the editor and provides debugging capabilities so you can step through the code step by step. Trace debugging.

XML Spy provides many powerful features that make many XML-related tasks very simple. Whether you want to develop a program in a visual way, or you want to "see" all the code in a hands-on way, you can do it through an XML editor. Although working with the documentation might be a stretch in a few ways, the editor works well and offers some useful windows and menu bars.

You can purchase XML Spy individually as a separate product, or as a complete set. If you want to check detailed prices and learn more information, you can visit the XML Spy website

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