Specify which type of XML text is replaced, so you won't accidentally overwrite the attribute contents or comments within your file when you really meant to change an element name.įigure 2: Advanced find and replace options
In addition, the advanced find and replace, shown in Figure 2 isĪlso a valuable tool for modifying large XML files easily. This is similar to how Microsoft's "intellisense" feature works in Visual Studio and means that you can fly through creating an XML file. Likewise, if this is an attribute that you have used before, you can simply start typing the first few letters of the attribute name and XMLSPY will present a list of attribute names for you to select from. For example, if you create an attribute called, as soon as you enter the closing bracket, XMLSPY will automatically put in the closing tag for you. You'll notice the difference as soon as you start to edit your first XML file. To start, the user interface has been extended to include context-sensitive helpers that can be used to complete XML statements and provide the structure for commonly used XML structures. XMLSPY 2004 is the latest release of the product and boasts a number of new features designed to make working with XML easier. XMLSPY is best known as an XML editor, but it can be used for much more, including validating XML, work with XML schemas, DTD (document type definitions) and transforming XML using XSL. Long recognized as the premier tool for editing XML, the latest version, XMLSPY 2004, has raised the standard for Web tools. If XML is the "new currency" for the Web, then Altova's XMLSPY is the money changer.