How to Validate XML against Multiple XSD in Notepad++

How to Validate XML against Multiple XSD in Notepad++
How to Validate XML against Multiple XSD in Notepad++

  

There are many text editors catered to programmers, and most of them offer some versatility in how many languages they can use.

Everyone has their own preference for which editor to use, but let us take a look at Notepad++.

It comes with color coding, line numbering, multiple tabs, and plugin support.

These features make it a lucrative tool for any kind of developer/programmer. It is widely used for XML and Java.

What are XML and XSD?

XML is the extensive markup language. It is primarily used to write XML files which is a markup file that contains a set of rules.

These rules are for encoding documents in a special format that both humans and machines can read. These XML files are used to transport and store data.

An XSD (XML schema definition) is a set of rules that describe how the XML file is formatted and what kind of content it has.

XML files are ‘validated’ against XSD files to make sure that their contents are used correctly and do not have any errors.

When validating the XML against the XSD, all the errors are highlighted. Highlighted errors can then be removed or corrected.

How to use Notepad++ for validating XML against XSD

Notepad++ does not come with XML support by default. In fact, for it to recognize XML you need to install a plugin first. Plugins can be easily installed in Notepad++, there are no complicated procedures involved.

First of all, you need to download and install Notepad++. A simple Google search will be enough to find its download link.

Then you need to install it. After installation, run Notepad++, click on ‘Plugins’, and then click on ‘Plugins Admin’.

Type out “XML” in the ‘search’ bar. Click on “XML tools” in the results and press Install.

Notepad++ will close, and an installer will download the plugin and install it automatically.

After the installation, ‘XML’ will be added to the “Languages” menu.

This will allow you to write using XML, with proper color coding and indentation.

Once you have written some sample XML and an XSD, to validate them you need to go to the 'plugins' drop-down menu, hover on 'XML tools', and then click 'validate now'.

You can also use the shortcut “Ctrl+Alt+Shift+M”.

Validating XML against multiple XSD in notepad++

Notepad++ XML tools plugin does not come with support for validating XML against multiple XSD.

However, there is a workaround that can be used.

The short answer is that you can create a single XSD that ‘imports’ all the other XSD that you need to validate against.

 

Other online tools for XML validation against XSD

 

1.     Utilities-online.info

This is an online tool that can be used to validate XML files against an XSD. It comes with various advantages such as requiring no setup.

This tool is free to use and does not require any account. It is straightforward to use and comes with related tools such as XML to JSON converter and XML beautifier.

If you are working with XML and need to do a quick validation check, this is the website for you.

It is rare that free tools on the internet offer you such functionality without making things difficult.

This tool allows you to check the correctness of the XML file and the XSD file on their own using the XML validator and the XSD validator.

Obviously, you get to validate your XML against your XSD as well, but being able to make sure that those files are correct beforehand is a welcome feature.

Using these tools users can bypass all the trouble of downloading a text editor and then installing all related plugins.

There is no need to wade through multiple drop-down menus; everything you need is a simple button press away.

It allows you to check the validity of your XML file and the s

Features

  • Fast performance
  • Has XML validator and XSD validator
  • Simple buttons with straightforward functionality
  • Intuitive UI
  • Comes with related tools such as XML beautifier.
  • Minimal Ads

 

2.     Online-toolz.com

This is a tools website that offers a lot of tools, a few of them being encoder/decoder, random text generator, converters, etc.

Their XML Validator is a free tool that can be used to validate your XML files.

It is an ad-free tool that also does not require any registration. It has no limits on how many times you can use it, nor any limitations on file size.

This tool has a few drawbacks such as not being able to add an XSD file of your choosing.

However, the variety of other tools this website provides makes up for it.

Features

  • Free
  • Fast
  • No ads

Conclusion

We took a look at what XML and XSD are, and how to enable Notepad++ to write XML and validate against an XSD.

We saw how plugins are required to increase the functionality of Notepad++.

Then we took a look at some online tools that can validate XML.

The bottom line is online tools are easier to use, as they require no setup, while dedicated software such as Notepad++ is more useful for people who are comfortable with programming.