How To Fix XML Errors In Excel?

Getting XML error in Excel meanwhile, trying to import XML to Excel or converting XML to Excel or opening large XML files to Excel? If you guys are dealing with any of these circumstances then this post is surely gonna help you a lot.

 As I have listed down the different XML errors in Excel encountered under different circumstances. Here, you will also get the best solutions to fix XML parse errors in Excel.

How To Fix Different XML Error In Excel?

Situation 1# Import Data From Web Source In Excel Application

This specific XML error conquered mainly when any user tries to import data from the web source in an Excel application.

At that time you will receive the following error message:

“File cannot be opened because: Invalid XML declaration”

Below this error declaration, a line stating the position of the error and XML (Extensible Markup Language) file’s version seems mentioned.

Cause

The main reason behind the occurrence of this error is that the Excel XML parser wants the character of XML tag <?xml?> always be the 1^st characters over the XML page.

It shouldn’t be preceded by any characters. Usually, it is seen that white space characters are not counted by XML interpreters.

Note:

XML parser present in the Microsoft Excel 2000 doesn’t work under this list of requirements.

Workaround

To fix this Invalid XML declaration error in Excel. You need to make sure nothing should precede the XML tags present in the document which you are trying to open as Web data sources in Excel. So, please make a check for this.

Situation 2# Import XML To Excel

Excel shows the XML Import Error when it is unable to validate data as per the XML Map and you will get the following error message:

“Failed schema validation”.

Follow the below fixes to resolve import XML to Excel errors.

Reason & Resolution:

XML Failed schema validation mainly occurs when you make hit the validate data against the schema for exporting and importing in the dialog box of XML Map Properties.

Doing this will import the data but the data won’t get validated against the specified XML Map.

Steps To Follow:

1. Choose a mapped cell for importing multiple XML files within one set of mapped cells.

For importing multiple XML files within multiple mapped cells. You just need to tap any cell which is not mapped from your Excel worksheet.

2. Tap to the Developer tab > after then tap on the Import option.
3. In the opened dialog box of Import XML, search and then choose the XML file which you need to import.
   • If in case the XML files are contiguous then press the Shift Holding the shift button you have to press the first & last file from the list. You will see all the data from XML files will get appended and imported into the mapped cells.
   • But if the XML files aren’t contiguous then press Ctrl button from your keyboard. Holding the ctrl button you have to tap on each file which you want to import.

4. Tap to the Import option.

If you’re chosen XML files are not contiguous, then the Importing <filename>.xml dialog box will open on your screen.

Choose the XML map which matches up to the XML data file that you are importing for each of the files.

If you want to use the same single map for the entire of your selected files that are not yet imported then choose the “Use this XML Map for all selected files of this schema” option.

Situation 2# Import Multiple XML Files Into Excel 

If you are trying to import multiple XML file to Excel then, in that case, you may get stuck to this error:

“Can’t find an XML Map that corresponds to the data”

Reason & Resolution:

When multiple XML data files are selected to import and Excel fails to find a matching XML map for any specific files among these multiple files.

A file whose name is mentioned in the title bar, you need to import the appropriate schema for it first. After then import the file one more time.

Import an XML data file as an XML table

1. Tap to the Developer tab and then on the Import
2. Now on your screen the dialog box of Import XML In this box brose and choose the XML data files you are willing to import.
3. Then tap to the import

If your XML file doesn’t have any schema then Excel concludes the schema through the XML file.

4. Now from the dialog box of Import Data, choose any of the options:
   1. XML table in the existing worksheet: this option will import the data of the XML file into the XML table within a specified location in your worksheet.
   2. XML table in the new worksheet: choosing this option will import entire file data into the XML table of a new worksheet.

You will see that the XML data file’s schema appears in the task pane of XML Source.

5. If in case the XML data file fails to refer to the schema, then in such a situation Excel will conclude the schema of the XML data file.
6. For making changes in the XML data behavior such as format, data binding, and layout just make a tap on the Properties option. This will open the dialog box of  XML Map properties.

Situation 3# XML Parse Error In Excel

XML parse error in Excel comes when XML parser is unable to open any specific XML file. So, for this case you need to make sure that your XML file doesn’t have any syntax error and XML is formed well.

Situation 4# Open Large XML Files In Excel

if any user faces difficulty in opening Large XML Files In Excel then they will encounter the following error message:

“An XML table can’t be resized to accommodate data”

Reason & Resolution:

Maybe you are trying to add rows either by appending or importing the data into the XML table. But unfortunately, there is no scope left for expanding the table.

Do you know that any XML table can only be expanded from the bottom?

So, the chance may that there is some hidden object present just below the XML table which is preventing the expansion of XML table.

The second reason behind XML table can’t be resized is that it has crossed the Excel row limit of 1,048,576.

To get rid of this problem, you need to rearrange the objects and tables on the spreadsheet. As this will, help your XML table to get expanded from the bottom part.

Situation 5#  Convert XML To Excel

At the time of converting XML To Excel it is found that many users caught into this very common problem i.e some data was converted to text data type.

Reason & Resolution:

Either some or the entire of your imported data got converted to text data type from its declared data type.

For using up this data in the calculation, you are required to convert text data type to date or numbers data type.

Suppose, a date value is somehow got converted into text. This won’t work in the year function until and unless you convert it into Date data type. The following are the circumstances under which Excel converts data to text.

• When the data is in such a format that Excel doesn’t support it.
• Chances are also that your data is incompatible with the XSD data type which comes under the Excel internal representation.

For fixing up this issue, make a check over the data type declaration. Ensure that your XML data well matches the criteria valid for XML schema.

Points to remember:

A perfect XML document starts with an XML declaration which identifies it as XML documents and also the XML version that is being used. Just as shown in the following example.

<?xml version=”1.0″?>

Programs and browser which interpret XML usually ignore white-space characters like tab, space, or newline, etc.

Some XML parsers ignore these white space characters if it comes ahead in the XML declaration.

Whereas, in the case of Excel XML parser, it’s important that none of these white space characters will precede the XML declaration.

XML parser of Excel 2000 ignores the white-space characters in front of the XML declaration.

Wrap Up:

After reading the above post you must have got enough idea on how to tackle different XML errors in Excel.  From now onwards you don’t have to worry about any type of XML parse error in Excel. As now you know where’s the actual problem occurred and how to fix it.