The XML Output
The example JSON produces this XML:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<root>
<name>Alice</name>
<age>30</age>
<address>
<city>Istanbul</city>
</address>
</root>Every JSON key becomes an XML element. The nested address object becomes a child element containing city. Numbers and strings are both stored as text content, which is the XML default.
How JSON Maps to XML
JSON and XML represent the same data but with different structural conventions.
| JSON | XML |
|---|---|
{ "key": "value" } | <key>value</key> |
{ "key": 42 } | <key>42</key> |
{ "key": true } | <key>true</key> |
{ "key": null } | <key/> (empty element) |
["a", "b"] | Repeated <item> elements |
| Nested object | Nested child elements |
JSON objects map cleanly to XML elements. Arrays require a decision: wrap them in a pluralized parent element or flatten them. Most converters choose the parent element approach because it preserves the array boundary.
When to Convert JSON to XML
SOAP Web Services
SOAP APIs accept only XML payloads. If you have JSON data from a REST API or database export and need to send it to a SOAP endpoint, conversion is mandatory. The request body must be valid XML with the correct namespace structure.
Enterprise Data Integration
Banking systems, insurance platforms, government portals, and healthcare systems often exchange data in XML formats like HL7, XBRL, or custom DTD-defined structures. Converting JSON API responses into these XML formats avoids building a custom parser for each system.
Document Publishing
XML is the native format for document publishing systems: DocBook, DITA, and XHTML workflows. If you are generating content programmatically in JSON, converting to XML lets you feed it into these publishing pipelines without manual reformatting.
Configuration Migration
Some tools and frameworks still use XML for configuration: Maven POM files, Spring application context, Android layouts, and Jenkins pipeline definitions. Converting JSON config to XML lets you migrate between toolchains.
XML vs JSON Tradeoffs
XML has advantages that matter in specific contexts. XML supports attributes, which let you attach metadata to elements without adding child nodes. XML has a formal schema language (XSD) for validation that is more expressive than JSON Schema for certain use cases. XML namespaces prevent element name collisions across vocabularies. XML supports comments and processing instructions that have no JSON equivalent.
JSON wins for simplicity and developer experience. It is shorter, easier to read, has native support in every modern programming language, and every web API returns it by default. For new projects, JSON is almost always the better choice unless you have a specific requirement for XML features.
XML Gotchas
Element Naming Rules
XML element names cannot start with a number, contain spaces, or use characters like @, $, or #. JSON keys like 123-abc or first name need to be transformed into valid element names during conversion. The converter typically replaces invalid characters with underscores.
Namespace Handling
XML namespaces use a colon syntax (prefix:name) that has no JSON equivalent. If your target XML requires namespaces, you may need to add them manually after conversion. The converter produces a namespace-free XML document by default.
Type Information
XML is text-only at the element level. The number 30 and the string "30" both become <age>30</age>. If your XML consumer needs to distinguish types, you must define an XSD schema or use attributes to annotate the type information.