Background

I need a way to quickly edit XML within my editor of choice, Notepad++.

What to do, but took to Google and see whether Notepad++ supports XML.

And, yes it does:

How to format XML in Notepad
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/3961217/how-to-format-xml-in-notepad

 

Auto Update

In Notepad++, to install or update plugins, I will access the menu option Plugins/Plugin Manager/”Show Plugin Manager”, select the plugin that I want, and click Install.

But, no go.

Here is what happens when I try out PowerShell Lexer.

 

BTW, “PowerShell Lexer” provides syntax highlighting for Power-Shell.

The problem is a Proxy configuration and authentication issue.  And, the problem merits a far more interesting post, that I will save for another day.

For today, we will trod the laborer’s path and update manually.

XML Tools

Download

Where are the PlugIns?

http://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/

 

Where is the XML Tools PlugIn?

http://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/XML%20Tools/

As of today, the file that we will download will be Xml Tools 2.4.4 Unicode.zip.

 

Installation

Extract

Let us extract the compressed (zip) file

 

Embed Files

• Select all the files in the ext_libs folder unto Notepad++ home folder; in our case C:\Program Files (x86)\Notepad++
• Copy xmltools under the main binary file (notepad++)

 

Review New Folder

Here is what our main line folder looks like:

 

Plugins

Here is the XMLTools.dll in the plugins folder:

 

Verify

Re-launched Notepad++ and tried to encode XML.

Here are the options:

Here are some of the options under XML Tools:

1. Check XML syntax now
2. Validate now
3. Convert selection XML to text
4. Convert selection text to XML
5. Comment selection
6. Un-Comment selection

 

I am probably wrong, but it does not appear any of the options specifically address XML Encoding.

 

HTML Tools

XML Encode?

Took to the Net to see if there is a more specific plugin for XML Encode.

Here are the Google matches:-

1. Automate IT ( Twitter:- @kollegaru )
   • NotePad ++ HTML TAG Plugin: Easy HTML encode & decode functions
     Link

It seems I should try out HTMLTag.

Download

Where is the HTMLTag PlugIn?

http://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/HTMLTag/HTMLTag%20plugin%20v0.50/

 

Since June 14th, 2012, the HTMLTag Plugin is v.5 and available @ http://sourceforge.net/projects/npp-plugins/files/HTMLTag/HTMLTag%20plugin%20v0.50/

 

 

Installation

Extract

Let us extract the compressed (zip) file

 

Embed Files

• Copy all the folders and files under the Applications’ plug-in folder.

 

Review New Folder

Here is what our mainline folder looks like:

 

Verify

Again, re-launched Notepad++ and here are the options under Plugins\HTML Tag.

 

From the screen above, we are able to encode and decode HTML Entities. Note that same applies to XML.

 

Summary

So it seems both plugins are needed.

The “XML Tools” Plugin for validating XML, and the “HTML Tag” Plug-in for encoding and decoding XML/HTML.