XML attributes in JSON: recommended mapping patterns

TL;DR: Fix XML validity first, then convert XML to JSON locally (no upload).

XML attributes often carry IDs, flags, and metadata. When converting to JSON, the goal is to preserve them without colliding with element names.

Why attributes are tricky

In XML, attributes and child elements share the same “namespace” of names but have different roles. In JSON, everything is keys and values. If you merge attributes directly into the same object as children, you risk key collisions and ambiguous semantics.

Common mapping patterns

  • Dedicated object: store attributes under @attributes.
  • Prefixed keys: store as @id, @type (works, but noisier).
  • Metadata wrapper: use {"_":{...attrs}, "child": ...} (more verbose).

The dedicated object approach is usually easiest to consume and doesn’t break when new attributes appear.

Practical tips

  • Keep text nodes separate (e.g. #text) when an element also has attributes.
  • Normalize types later—XML attributes are always strings.
  • Decide how to handle namespaces (keep prefix vs strip).

Practical checklist (fast)

If you’re stuck, use this quick checklist to narrow the problem before you try “random fixes”. Start by validating the input format (syntax first), then confirm shape expectations (array vs object, headers vs rows). Convert a small sample, inspect the output, and only then export the full result.

  • Validate: confirm the input is strict JSON/XML/CSV (no stray characters).
  • Confirm shape: arrays vs objects; headers vs row lengths; repeated tags vs arrays.
  • Test a sample: first 20–50 rows/items are enough to detect parsing issues.
  • Export: copy/download the output and re-check it in the consumer (script/spreadsheet/API).

This workflow is privacy-first by design: All processing happens locally in your browser. Files are never uploaded.

FAQ

Can I convert attributes into numbers/booleans? You can, but do it in a second pass. The converter should preserve raw values first.

Why did my attributes disappear? Some converters ignore attributes by default—choose a converter that preserves them explicitly.

Trust note: All processing happens locally in your browser. Files are never uploaded.

Next steps
Privacy & Security
All processing happens locally in your browser. Files are never uploaded.