Understanding XML and JSON
XML (eXtensible Markup Language) and JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) are the two most common formats for data interchange on the web. While JSON has become the standard for modern REST APIs, XML is still widely used in enterprise systems, SOAP services, and configuration files.
XML vs. JSON Structure
XML
Uses tags like HTML. Can have attributes. More verbose.
<user id="1">
<name>John</name>
</user>JSON
Uses key-value pairs. Easier to read and parse in JavaScript.
{
"user": {
"@id": "1",
"name": "John"
}
}Data Types
One challenge in converting XML is that everything is text. <price>10</price> is a string "10", not a number. Our converter attempts to auto-detect types, converting "true" to booleans and numbers to integers, making the resulting JSON ready for API use.
Legacy Systems (SOAP)
Many legacy banking and telecom systems use SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol), which relies heavily on XML. Modern developers often need to bridge these systems with JSON-based frontends (React, Vue). This tool simplifies that bridge.