Convert XML to human readable format with proper visual indent and without closing tags or pointy brackets.

test.xml

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<project>
  <tag1 a1="v1" a2="v2" a3="v3">
    <ctag1>
      hello
    </ctag1>
    <ctag2>
      world
    </ctag2>
  </tag1>
  <tag2>
    bravo!
  </tag2>
</project>

test.xmlvis

project:
  tag1[a1 = v1, a2 = v2, a3 = v3]:
    ctag1: hello
    ctag2: world
  tag2: bravo!

xmlvis.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
import lxml.etree as E

INLINE_ATTRS = True

def strip_tag(tag):
    left = tag.find('{')
    if left < 0:
        return tag
    right = tag.find('}', left)
    return tag[right + 1:]

def convert_node(node, indents):
    """
    Visualize a node recursively. Attributes will be converted to tags
    starting with '@'. 

    For example: <point x="2" y="3"> Good point </point> will be converted to
        *point: 
          @x: 2
          @y: 3
          Good point
    """
    indent = '  ' * indents
    contents = []
    if node.text:
        for line in node.text.split('\n'):
            line = line.strip()
            if line:
                contents.append(line)
    # If the whole node is short enough, we display it inline.
    if not node.attrib and len(node) == 0 and len(contents) <= 1:
        line = contents[0] if contents else ''
        yield '{indent}{tag}: {line}'.format(
            indent=indent, tag=strip_tag(node.tag), line=line)
        return

    if INLINE_ATTRS:
        # Diplay tag name and attributes on first line
        attrs = ', '.join(sorted('{} = {}'.format(attr, value.replace('\n', ' '))
            for attr, value in node.attrib.items()))
        template = '{indent}{tag}[{attrs}]:' if attrs else '{indent}{tag}:'
        yield template.format(indent=indent, tag=strip_tag(node.tag), attrs=attrs)
    else:
        # Display tag name on a line and attributes on other lines.
        yield '{indent}{tag}:'.format(indent=indent, tag=strip_tag(node.tag))
        for attr, value in node.attrib.items():
            value = ' '.join(map(str.strip, value.split('\n')))
            yield '{indent}  @{attr}: {value}'.format(**locals()) 
    # Display children
    for child in node:
        yield from convert_node(child, indents + 1)
    # Display node text
    for line in contents:
        yield '{indent}  {line}'.format(indent=indent, line=line)

def convert(input):
    infile = open(input, 'r') if isinstance(input, str) else input
    root = E.fromstring(infile.read().encode('utf-8'))
    if infile is not input:
        infile.close()
    return '\n'.join(convert_node(root, 0))

if __name__ == '__main__':
    import sys
    infile = open(sys.argv[1], 'r')
    outfile = open(sys.argv[2], 'w') if len(sys.argv) >= 3 else sys.stdout
    outfile.write(convert(infile))