Basic JSON to XML Conversion

Converting JSON to XML is a common task when integrating modern REST APIs with legacy SOAP services or enterprise systems that require XML input.

A simple JSON object:

{
  "name": "DevToolbox",
  "version": "2.0",
  "active": true
}

Converts to this XML:

<root>
  <name>DevToolbox</name>
  <version>2.0</version>
  <active>true</active>
</root>

Key mapping rules:

1. Each JSON key becomes an XML element. The key "name" maps to <name>...</name>.
2. Primitive values become text content. Strings, numbers, and booleans are placed as text nodes inside the element.
3. A root element is required. JSON does not need a single root, but XML requires exactly one root element. Converters typically wrap the output in <root> or a user-specified tag name.
4. Booleans and numbers are stringified. JSON true becomes the text "true" in XML, and 42 becomes "42". XML has no native type system for element content.

Data type considerations:

• JSON null can map to an empty element <field/> or an element with xsi:nil="true".
• Strings containing XML special characters (<, >, &, ", ') must be escaped or wrapped in CDATA sections.
• Key names that are not valid XML element names (e.g., starting with a digit or containing spaces) must be sanitized.

Lossless round-tripping between JSON and XML is not always possible because XML has features (attributes, namespaces, mixed content) with no direct JSON equivalent. However, for simple flat objects the conversion is straightforward and reversible.