<div dir="ltr"> <div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Oct 2, 2008 at 5:07 PM, stan <<a href="mailto:stanb@panix.com">stanb@panix.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"> Let me start off this by saying that I probably don't even know enough to properly format the question. I have some software, for industrial control systems that generates export files in an XML format. I would like to be able to edit these files, such that I can for example replicate many copies of the same thing, each with slight changes that make it unique, In years past, this was done by exporting to an ASCII "flat file". I have been hearing about XML for a while, but not really paying attention. Now is the time I need to learn about this, it appears. So, is there such a thing as an XML file editor? What I think I mean by this is an editor that can open these files, and understand the properties that are defined in them, and allow me to manipulate these objects? Is this something Open Office can do? Or is there a better/different way of doing this? </blockquote><div> Altova, Oxygen, and Cooktop (if you're in win) come to mind as far as editors. If you're very new to XML, look up the W3C Schools online - they have a primer on XML that should get you started. Manipulating the XML file itself is relatively painless, but the schema behind it may need modifications as well, which might prove to be somewhat more involved. Also, is the software you currently have using transformation? (XSLT)... An additional consideration to bear in mind Feel free to email me for more info. Regards, Jack </div> </div> </div>