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A powerful VS Code extension to transform XML documents using XSLT. No Java/JAR dependencies required - everything runs in Node.js with the xslt-processor library for reliable XSLT transformation.
Features
🚀 No Java Required : Uses Node.js instead of Java for fast transformations
📄 Multiple Output Formats : Supports HTML, XML, XHTML, Text, JSON, and Adaptive output methods
🔍 Smart XSL Detection : Automatically finds XSL files via XML processing instructions or filename matching
🎨 Auto-Formatting : Beautifies output for better readability
🖱️ Context Menu Integration : Right-click on XML files for quick access
⚡ Fast & Lightweight : Minimal footprint with instant transformations
Installation
Download the .vsix file from the Releases page
In VS Code: Extensions > Install from VSIX... or drag the file into the editor
Reload VS Code
Usage
Method 1: Command Palette
Open an XML file in VS Code
Press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Cmd+Shift+P on Mac)
Type "XSL: Transform XML" and select it
Right-click on an open XML file
Select "XSL: Transform XML" from the context menu
How It Works
XSL Detection : The extension looks for XSL references in XML <?xml-stylesheet?> processing instructionsFallback : If no reference found, it searches for a same-name .xsl file in the same directoryTransformation : Uses the xslt-processor library for reliable XSLT 1.0+ processingOutput : Saves the result with appropriate extension based on XSL output method
The extension automatically detects the output format from your XSL:
XSL Output Method
File Extension
Description
html.htmlHTML document
xhtml.xhtmlXHTML document
xml.xmlXML document
text.txtPlain text
json.jsonJSON data
adaptive.htmlAdaptive (defaults to HTML)
Example
XML File (data.xml)
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="transform.xsl"?>
<books>
<book id="1">
<title>XML Guide</title>
<author>John Doe</author>
</book>
</books>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0" xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
<xsl:output method="html"/>
<xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<body>
<h1>Book List</h1>
<ul>
<xsl:for-each select="books/book">
<li><xsl:value-of select="title"/> by <xsl:value-of select="author"/></li>
</xsl:for-each>
</ul>
</body>
</html>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>
Output (data.html)
<html>
<body>
<h1>Book List</h1>
<ul>
<li>XML Guide by John Doe</li>
</ul>
</body>
</html>
Requirements
Visual Studio Code 1.115.0 or later
Local XML and XSL files
Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please:
Fork the repository
Create a feature branch
Make your changes
Test thoroughly
Submit a pull request
License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
Support
If you encounter issues or have questions:
Check the Issues page
Create a new issue with detailed information
Include sample XML/XSL files if possible
Notes
The extension uses the xslt-processor npm package.
No Java or external processor is required.
If no stylesheet instruction is present and no same-name XSL file exists, the extension will report the missing XSL file.
Release Notes
1.0.0
Initial public version with XML/XSL transformation support.
