Free XML to C Struct Generator Online
Convert XML to C structs for libxml2 and tinyxml2 instantly in your browser.
XML Input
C Output
What Is XML to C?
You've got an XML config, a SOAP response, or a data feed — and your C project needs to consume it. The problem? C has no built-in XML support, so you're left manually mapping elements to struct fields. Libraries like libxml2 (the industry-standard choice), the lightweight Expat parser, or tinyxml2 handle the actual parsing — but you still need the struct definitions first. This tool reads your XML structure and scaffolds the typedef struct definitions so you can start writing your parsing code immediately. The W3C XML specification defines the format; W3C XML has further reading. All generation runs locally via DOMParser — nothing is sent to a server.
How to Use This Tool
Paste or Upload XML
Paste XML or upload a file. Set struct name and package in the config.
Review C Output
The right panel shows generated structs. Use libxml2 or tinyxml2 to parse and populate. You must manage memory.
Copy or Download
Use Copy or Download. For JSON to C, use JSON to C. For XML formatting, use XML Formatter.
When XML to C Helps
When building embedded systems or C apps that consume XML config or SOAP, generate structs here. Use libxml2 or tinyxml2 to parse and populate. The W3C XML spec defines the format.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which XML library should I use for C — libxml2 or Expat?
libxml2 is a full-featured DOM parser — great when you need to query specific elements by name. Expat is a fast streaming SAX parser — better for large files where you don't need to load the whole document. tinyxml2 sits in between — a simple DOM parser with a small footprint, popular in game engines and embedded systems.
How do I populate a C struct from XML with libxml2?
Parse the document with xmlReadMemory() or xmlReadFile(), then walk the node tree using xmlNodeGetContent() for text and xmlGetProp() for attributes. Assign values to your generated struct fields, and free the document with xmlFreeDoc() when done.
Do I need to manage memory for the struct strings?
Yes. In C, char* fields in a struct require you to malloc() and free() memory yourself. Consider using strdup() to copy string content from the XML tree, and free each field before freeing the struct itself.
Can I use this for SOAP or embedded device XML configs?
Yes. Paste the XML response body or your device config file. The tool scaffolds typedef struct definitions that match your XML element hierarchy. For SOAP, focus on the response body element only — skip the envelope wrapper.
Is my XML data sent to a server?
No. All processing runs locally in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored anywhere — safe to use with confidential configs.
XML to C Examples
Here is an example of generating C structs from XML.
Example: Subscriber record
XML input:
Generated C output:
Related Tools
For C XML parsing, see libxml2 and tinyxml2. For XML, see the W3C XML spec and W3C XML. For parsing in the browser, see MDN DOMParser. For JSON, see json.org.