Working with XML Data
Note
This article applies to Visual Studio 2015. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here
XML and its related technologies play a large role in the way data is handled in Windows Server 2008 Visual Studio. Visual Studio includes tools and features that make it easier to work with XML, XSLT, and XML schemas.
XML Editor
The XML Editor is used to edit XML documents. It provides full XML 1.0 syntax checking, schema validation while you type, color-coding, and IntelliSense. If a schema or document type definition is provided, it is used by IntelliSense to list allowable elements and attributes.
Additional features include:
XML snippet support, including schema-generated snippets.
Document outlining so that elements can be expanded and collapsed.
The ability to execute XSLT transformations and to view the results as text, XML, or HTML.
The ability to generate XML Schema definition language (XSD) schemas from the XML instance document.
Support for editing XSLT style sheets, including IntelliSense support.
XML Schema Explorer
XML Schema Designer
The XML Schema Designer is integrated with Microsoft Visual Studio 2010 and the XML Editor to enable you to work with XML Schema definition language (XSD) schemas.
XSLT Debugging
Visual Studio supports debugging XSLT style sheets. Using the debugger, you can set break points in an XSLT style sheet, step into an XSLT style sheet from code, and so on.
Note
XSLT debugging is available in the Professional and Team Editions.
In This Section
XML Editor Introduces the XML Editor.
XML Schema Designer Discusses the XML Schema Designer and working with XML Schema definition language (XSD) schemas.
Related Sections
Debugging XSLT Discusses how to debug style sheets using the Visual Studio debugger.
XML Standards Reference Provides information about XML technologies, including XML, Document Type Definition (DTD), XML Schema definition language (XSD), and XSLT.
XML Web Services in Managed Code Discusses how to create and deploy XML Web services and how to access XML Web services.