Convert ORG to XML

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ORG vs XML Format Comparison

Aspect	ORG (Source Format)	XML (Target Format)
Format Overview	ORG Emacs Org-mode Plain text markup format created for Emacs in 2003. Designed for note-taking, task management, project planning, and literate programming. Features hierarchical structure with collapsible sections, TODO states, scheduling, and code execution. Emacs Native Literate Programming	XML Extensible Markup Language W3C standard markup language designed for storing and transporting data. Created in 1998 as a flexible, self-describing format. The foundation for XHTML, SOAP, RSS, SVG, and countless data interchange applications. Both human and machine readable. Data Interchange W3C Standard
Technical Specifications	Structure: Hierarchical outline with * headers Encoding: UTF-8 Format: Plain text with markup Processor: Emacs Org-mode, Pandoc Extensions: .org	Structure: Nested elements with tags Encoding: UTF-8, UTF-16 Format: Tag-based markup Processor: Any XML parser Extensions: .xml
Syntax Examples	Org-mode syntax: #+TITLE: Project Notes #+AUTHOR: John Doe * Introduction Some introductory text. ** Background :PROPERTIES: :ID: bg-001 :END: Historical context here. - First point - Second point \| Name \| Value \| \|-------+-------\| \| Alpha \| 100 \|	XML syntax: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <document> <title>Project Notes</title> <author>John Doe</author> <section level="1"> <heading>Introduction</heading> <paragraph>Some introductory text.</paragraph> <section level="2" id="bg-001"> <heading>Background</heading> <paragraph>Historical context here.</paragraph> <list> <item>First point</item> <item>Second point</item> </list> </section> </section> </document>
Content Support	Hierarchical headers with * levels TODO states and task management Scheduling and deadlines Tags and properties Tables with spreadsheet formulas Literate programming (Babel) Code blocks with execution Links and cross-references LaTeX math support	Nested elements (infinite depth) Attributes on elements Namespaces Entity references CDATA sections Processing instructions Comments Schema validation (XSD, DTD) XPath/XSLT transformation
Advantages	Powerful task management Literate programming support Code execution (40+ languages) Spreadsheet-like tables Agenda and scheduling Deep Emacs integration Extensive customization	Universal data format Self-describing structure Schema validation XPath querying XSLT transformations Industry standard Programming language support
Disadvantages	Requires Emacs for full features Steep learning curve Limited outside Emacs ecosystem Complex syntax for advanced features Less portable than other formats	Verbose syntax Larger file sizes Complex to read for humans Stricter than JSON Parsing overhead
Common Uses	Personal knowledge management Task and project management Literate programming Research notes Journaling and logging Agenda and scheduling	Web services (SOAP) Configuration files Data interchange Document formats (DOCX) RSS/Atom feeds Enterprise integration
Best For	Emacs users Task management Literate programming Personal notes	Data interchange Enterprise systems Web services Complex documents
Version History	Introduced: 2003 (Carsten Dominik) Current Version: 9.6+ (2024) Status: Active development Primary Tool: GNU Emacs	Introduced: 1998 (W3C Recommendation) Current Version: XML 1.0 (5th Ed.), 1.1 Status: Stable W3C standard Primary Tool: Any XML parser
Software Support	Emacs: Native support (Org-mode) Vim/Neovim: org.nvim, vim-orgmode VS Code: Org Mode extension Other: Logseq, Obsidian (plugins)	Libraries: All languages (built-in) Editors: VS Code, IntelliJ, etc. Browsers: Native rendering Databases: Native XML support

Why Convert ORG to XML?

Converting Org-mode documents to XML format is essential when you need to integrate your content with enterprise systems, web services, or any application that processes structured data. While Org-mode is powerful for personal use, XML is the universal standard for data interchange.

XML provides a self-describing structure that makes your Org-mode content accessible to countless tools and systems. The hierarchical nature of Org-mode maps naturally to XML's nested element structure, preserving your document's organization.

The conversion is particularly valuable for software integration scenarios. XML can be validated against schemas (XSD, DTD), queried with XPath, and transformed with XSLT. This enables automated processing, validation, and transformation of your content.

Many publishing workflows, content management systems, and enterprise applications use XML as their native format. Converting Org-mode to XML enables you to feed your content into these systems while maintaining structure and metadata.

Key Benefits of Converting ORG to XML:

Universal Compatibility: Processable by any programming language
Schema Validation: Validate structure with XSD or DTD
XPath Queries: Extract data with powerful query language
XSLT Transforms: Convert to any output format
Enterprise Ready: Integrate with business systems
Self-Describing: Structure embedded in the data
Extensible: Define custom elements and attributes

Practical Examples

Example 1: Document Structure

Input ORG file (document.org):

#+TITLE: Technical Specification
#+AUTHOR: Engineering Team
#+DATE: 2024-01-15

* Overview
This document describes the system architecture.

** Components
*** Database Layer
PostgreSQL with replication.

*** API Layer
RESTful services using FastAPI.

Output XML file (document.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<document>
  <metadata>
    <title>Technical Specification</title>
    <author>Engineering Team</author>
    <date>2024-01-15</date>
  </metadata>
  <section level="1">
    <heading>Overview</heading>
    <paragraph>This document describes the system architecture.</paragraph>
    <section level="2">
      <heading>Components</heading>
      <section level="3">
        <heading>Database Layer</heading>
        <paragraph>PostgreSQL with replication.</paragraph>
      </section>
      <section level="3">
        <heading>API Layer</heading>
        <paragraph>RESTful services using FastAPI.</paragraph>
      </section>
    </section>
  </section>
</document>

Example 2: Task Data Export

Input ORG file (tasks.org):

* Project Tasks
** TODO Write documentation
DEADLINE: <2024-02-01>
:PROPERTIES:
:PRIORITY: A
:ASSIGNEE: Alice
:END:

** DONE Set up CI/CD
CLOSED: [2024-01-10 Wed 14:30]
:PROPERTIES:
:PRIORITY: B
:ASSIGNEE: Bob
:END:

Output XML file (tasks.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<tasks>
  <project name="Project Tasks">
    <task status="TODO" priority="A">
      <title>Write documentation</title>
      <deadline>2024-02-01</deadline>
      <assignee>Alice</assignee>
    </task>
    <task status="DONE" priority="B">
      <title>Set up CI/CD</title>
      <closed>2024-01-10T14:30:00</closed>
      <assignee>Bob</assignee>
    </task>
  </project>
</tasks>

Example 3: Table Data

Input ORG file (data.org):

* Product Catalog

| ID   | Name       | Price  | Stock |
|------+------------+--------+-------|
| P001 | Widget     | 29.99  |   150 |
| P002 | Gadget     | 49.99  |    75 |
| P003 | Tool       | 19.99  |   200 |

* Suppliers
- Acme Corp (primary)
- Global Parts Ltd (backup)

Output XML file (data.xml):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<catalog>
  <products>
    <product id="P001">
      <name>Widget</name>
      <price currency="USD">29.99</price>
      <stock>150</stock>
    </product>
    <product id="P002">
      <name>Gadget</name>
      <price currency="USD">49.99</price>
      <stock>75</stock>
    </product>
    <product id="P003">
      <name>Tool</name>
      <price currency="USD">19.99</price>
      <stock>200</stock>
    </product>
  </products>
  <suppliers>
    <supplier type="primary">Acme Corp</supplier>
    <supplier type="backup">Global Parts Ltd</supplier>
  </suppliers>
</catalog>

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: What is XML?

A: XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a W3C standard for storing and transporting data. Created in 1998, it uses custom tags to describe data structure. XML is self-describing, meaning the data format is embedded in the file itself. It's the foundation for XHTML, SOAP, RSS, and many enterprise data formats.

Q: How is the Org structure preserved?

A: Org-mode's hierarchical outline maps naturally to XML's nested element structure. Each heading level becomes a nested section element. Properties become attributes or child elements. Lists become list elements with item children. The structure is fully preserved.

Q: What about Org-mode properties?

A: Property drawers are converted to XML attributes or dedicated property elements. For example, :ID: becomes an id attribute, and custom properties become child elements. This makes them queryable with XPath.

Q: Is the output valid XML?

A: Yes, the converter produces well-formed XML 1.0 output with proper UTF-8 encoding declaration. The output can be validated against a schema if you define one, and processed by any XML-compatible tool.

Q: Can I use XPath to query the output?

A: Absolutely! The XML structure is designed for efficient XPath queries. For example, you can find all TODO items with "//task[@status='TODO']" or get all headings with "//heading".

Q: How are tables converted?

A: Org-mode tables become table elements with row and cell children. The first row can be marked as a header row. Cell content becomes the text content of cell elements. This structure is similar to HTML tables but more semantic.

Q: Can I convert XML back to Org-mode?

A: Yes, using XSLT or custom parsers, you can transform XML back to Org-mode format. Pandoc also supports this conversion. The round-trip preserves most structural information.

Q: What about code blocks?

A: Code blocks are wrapped in CDATA sections within code elements to preserve special characters. The language attribute indicates the programming language. This keeps code content intact and parseable.