What Is a DXL File? Domino XML or DOORS Script, and How to Know Which
DXL files are text files with two meanings, and the first line shows which one you have. Jump to your question below, or work through it in order.
What Is a DXL File? Two meanings under one ending
Short answer
DXL files are text files that share one ending and two jobs. Domino DXL files are XML exports from HCL Notes and Domino. DOORS DXL files are scripts for IBM DOORS. The first line separates them, because XML files start with <?xml.
We tested 104 public DXL files, 40 from Domino and 64 from DOORS. All 40 Domino files started with the XML line and none of the 64 scripts did. Chromium downloaded all 104 files instead of showing them.
To open DXL files, read how to open DXL files. If yours will not open, start with the ten causes. To find your kind, read the first line check.
DXL files are text files with two unrelated meanings. Domino DXL files are XML exports from HCL Notes and Domino. DOORS DXL files are scripts for IBM DOORS. The first line of the file shows which one you have.
Picture a file named export.dxl that arrives in an email. You double-click it and nothing opens, or your browser saves it again. The file is fine. The ending belongs to two programs that have nothing to do with one another.
HCL's Domino DTD reference calls DXL the Domino version of XML. DXL files describe databases as text. They can list the design, the access list and the documents. Its first element is database, and its namespace is http://. FileInfo names the type Domino XML Language File.
The other meaning is DOORS Extension Language. Wikipedia describes it as a scripting language for IBM DOORS, a requirements management program. IBM's guide to developing DXL covers how to write the scripts. DOORS DXL files are C-like text that you can edit in any text editor.
Two older uses exist. File-Extensions.org lists a Duxbury Braille Translator label file and Dapyx MP3 Explorer data, and it marks the second one obsolete. The other meanings section covers both.
One fact shapes this page. None of the six file type databases that we checked lists .dxl. So a browser or a server does not know what the DXL file is, and it downloads the DXL file. The study section has the numbers.
DXL file facts at a glance
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Two meanings. Domino XML Language and DOORS Extension Language. |
| Ending | .dxl. DOORS library files use .inc. |
| Made by | HCL Domino and Notes, which were IBM and Lotus products before. IBM DOORS. |
| Format | Domino DXL files are XML text. DOORS DXL files are C-like script text. |
| Starts with | The XML line for Domino. In our samples, 40 of 40 Domino files did and 0 of 64 DOORS scripts did. |
| MIME type | None. The six databases we checked list no type for .dxl. |
| Opens in | Any text editor. HCL Domino Designer for Domino files and IBM DOORS for scripts. |
| Safe to open | Domino DXL files are data. DOORS DXL files are code that DOORS can start. |
Wrong page? A .dxf ending is a CAD drawing, so read the DWG file guide. An NSF file is the Notes database itself, and the NSF file guide covers it. Email that comes out of a DXL file can end up as an EML file or a PST file.
How Do You Know Which Kind of DXL File You Have? Read the first line
Read the first line of the file in a text editor. If it starts with <?xml, your DXL file is the Domino kind. If it shows code, comments or a pragma line, your DXL file is the DOORS kind. In our 104 samples, the XML line sorted every file.
Open the DXL file in Notepad, TextEdit or any code editor. Both kinds are text, so you see words and not noise. If you see noise, read the causes section.
Domino DXL files begin with the XML line. All 40 of our Domino files did, and all 40 named the Lotus namespace within the first 2,000 bytes. None of the 64 DOORS scripts began with an XML line.
The file command agrees. It named all 40 Domino files XML 1.0 documents. It named none of the 64 scripts XML. It called 33 of them C source and the other 31 ASCII, Unicode or ISO 8859 text.
The script below says which kind a file is. Save it as check_dxl_kind.py and give it the name of your file.
"""Say which kind of DXL file this is. Usage: python3 check_dxl_kind.py file.dxl"""
import sys, re
def kind(path):
with open(path, "rb") as fh:
head = fh.read(2000)
start = head.lstrip(b"\xef\xbb\xbf").lstrip()
if b"\x00" in head:
return "binary or damaged (a zero byte near the start)"
if start.startswith(b"<?xml"):
if b"www.lotus.com/dxl" in head:
return "Domino DXL (XML with the Lotus namespace)"
return "XML, but no Lotus namespace in the first 2,000 bytes"
text = head.decode("latin-1")
if re.search(r"(?m)^\s*(pragma\s|#include\s|//|/\*)", text):
return "DOORS script (plain text with DXL-style lines)"
return "plain text, no sign of either kind"
if __name__ == "__main__":
for p in sys.argv[1:]:
print(p, "->", kind(p))Here is what it printed for four files.
$ python3 check_dxl_kind.py form-export.dxl fields-export.dxl copy-id.dxl notes.dxl
form-export.dxl -> Domino DXL (XML with the Lotus namespace)
fields-export.dxl -> Domino DXL (XML with the Lotus namespace)
copy-id.dxl -> DOORS script (plain text with DXL-style lines)
notes.dxl -> plain text, no sign of either kindThe script reads the first 2,000 bytes. On our 104 samples, it called all 40 Domino files Domino DXL. It called 62 of the 64 scripts DOORS scripts. It said no sign of either kind for the other two, and it never called any script a Domino file.
The check reads a label and nothing else. A good label does not prove that the XML is complete, as the damage tests show.
Four more clues about your DXL file
<?xml. All 40 of ours were UTF-8 and none had a byte order mark.
domino_6_5.dtd. The other 31 go straight to the database element.
pragma or #include lines and // comments. In our samples, 28 had a pragma line and 30 had an include line.
What Is Inside Domino DXL Files? A database written as XML
Domino DXL files describe Domino databases as XML. They can contain the design, the access list and the documents. In our 39 readable samples, the documents contained 15,378 items, and more than half of those items were text.
HCL's Domino Designer help lists three DXL tools under Tools and DXL Utilities. They are the Viewer, the Exporter and the Transformer, which applies an XSL style sheet. The export and import guide shows the same job in code, with the DXLExporter and DXLImporter classes.
| Part | What it stores |
|---|---|
| databaseinfo | Facts about the database, like its title, its replica ID, its size on disk and its dates. 37 of our 39 readable files had it. |
| acl | The access control list, which names who may read or change the database. 31 files had it. |
| form | The layout and fields that people use to enter data. We counted 129 forms in 29 files. |
| view | A list that sorts and shows documents. We counted 33 views in 28 files. |
| agent | An automated task. We counted 17 agents in 15 files. |
| document | The data records. We counted 5,542 documents in 32 files. |
| imageresource | A picture that belongs to the design. Four files had one. |
A document is a list of items. Every item has a name and a type. Our files used seven types, and the next table counts them.
| Type | What we found |
|---|---|
| text | 8,538 items. Words and short strings, like names and subjects. |
| number | 3,391 items. Numbers, like quantities and IDs. |
| richtext | 2,216 items. Formatted text with paragraphs, links and pictures. |
| datetime | 590 items. Dates and times, written like 20010424T132608,39-04. |
| textlist | 556 items. Lists of text values. |
| object | 54 items. Embedded objects, with their binary data written as text. |
| itemdata | 33 items. Raw data blocks. |
Binary parts are stored as base64 text. About 10 percent of the characters in our 40 files were base64, and one 3.7 MB file was 99.5 percent base64. That is why some DXL files are far larger than their words suggest.
The first lines of Domino DXL files
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<!DOCTYPE database SYSTEM 'xmlschemas/domino_6_5.dtd'>
<database xmlns="http://www.lotus.com/dxl" version="1.0" path="xmlexample.nsf" title="xmlexample">
Line 3 names the namespace. The version value was 6.5 in 31 of our files and 1.0 in 8. The DOCTYPE line names a DTD file, but the DTD is not inside the DXL file. Our parsers read 8 of the 9 files with a DOCTYPE line without fetching it, and the ninth is the broken test file. HCL's help on the exporter says it writes the DOCTYPE line by default and names domino.dtd.
How old our Domino samples are
Our 40 files are old. Their date stamps range from 2001 to 2009, and the DTD name points to release 6.5. HCL still documents DXL in its current Domino Designer help, so the format has outlasted those releases. We cannot say how newer exports differ.
DXL files are not Notes databases. The HCL forum says you cannot open DXL files in the Notes client like databases without programming. The forum answer points to the importer. Use the NSF file for the database itself.
What Are DOORS DXL Files? A script that IBM DOORS can start
DOORS DXL files are scripts. They are C-like text that IBM DOORS reads and starts. In our 64 samples, 30 pull in other files with #include and 27 set pragma runLim to 0, which switches off the time limit.
IBM's page on writing DXL shows how users write DXL to extend DOORS. The Wikipedia entry calls it a scripting language. FileInfo's DXL entry says its syntax looks like C or C++ and that you can edit a script in any text editor or in the DXL Interaction window.
| Measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Files | 64 scripts from five public script collections. They range from 336 bytes to 140 KB. |
| Lines | 19,930 lines in total. |
| Pragma lines |
28 files have a pragma line. 27 use pragma runLim, and all 27 set it to 0.
|
| Include lines |
30 files use #include to pull in other files.
|
| Text encoding | 56 files are ASCII, 5 are UTF-8 with accents or symbols and 3 are ISO 8859. |
| Line endings | 24 files contain Windows line endings. |
| Programs started |
Two scripts call system to start another program.
|
The scripts are small. The largest is 140 KB, and the 64 files add up to 684 KB. Domino DXL files are larger, because XML repeats its tag names, and ours reach 6.2 MB.
How DOORS DXL files are started
- In IBM DOORS, choose Tools and then Edit DXL.
- The DXL Interaction window opens. It has buttons to load a script from a file and to browse for one.
- Read the script first. It can open files and start programs, as the next part shows.
- Use the button in that window to start the script.
Administrators can block DXL. IBM's DOORS guide says an administrator can switch it off. If the window does not open, ask who manages DOORS at your company.
What DOORS scripts can do
IBM's DXL reference manual has one chapter on files and streams and another on operating system commands. So DXL reaches past DOORS. A script can read and write files and start other programs, and not only edit requirements. In our samples, two of the 64 scripts call system, and several open files with a Stream.
The time limit matters too. The manual says pragma runLim sets a time-out for a script, and 0 means no limit. 27 of our scripts switch the limit off, and five of them say so in a comment.
Library files with the INC ending
DOORS libraries use the .inc ending, and a script pulls them in with #include. 30 of our 64 scripts do that. Our set has only .dxl files, so we did not study .inc files. No database that we checked lists the ending either.
DOORS scripts are not data.
Do not start a script in DOORS because a colleague sent it. Read it in a text editor first, and look for system and Stream lines.
What Did We Find in 104 DXL Files? The first line sorted every file, and the ending sorted none
We tested 104 public DXL files. The XML line sorted them all, the file command agreed and no database listed .dxl. Chromium downloaded all 104 files, yet it showed 39 of the 40 Domino files after we renamed them to .xml.
We wanted facts about files that people made, so we collected DXL files from public projects. The 40 Domino files come from the test set of the Plomino dominoimport project. They are XML exports saved as .xml, and we renamed them to .dxl. The 64 DOORS scripts come from five public script collections and already ended in .dxl.
Domino files range from 1.7 KB to 6.2 MB and add up to 38 MB. DOORS scripts range from 336 bytes to 140 KB. We used Python, the file command 5.45, xmllint and Chromium 141, and we served the files from a basic test server on our own computer.
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| First line |
40 of 40 Domino files start with <?xml. 0 of 64 scripts do.
|
| The file command | Named all 40 Domino files XML 1.0 documents. It named the scripts C source (33), ASCII text (23), Unicode text (5) and ISO 8859 text (3). |
| XML parsers | 39 of 40 Domino files parsed in Python and in xmllint. The 40th is a test file named BadXML, and it is broken on purpose. |
| DOCTYPE and PRONOM | 9 of 40 files have a DOCTYPE line. The PRONOM record has a rule that looks for it, and the rule matched those 9 and no others. Its second rule, which looks for a document element, matched none. |
| Contents | The 39 readable files had 5,542 documents, 129 forms, 33 views and 17 agents. |
| Chromium and the .dxl ending | Downloaded all 104 files. No file opened in the tab. |
| Chromium after a rename | 39 of the 40 Domino files showed as an XML tree when named .xml. All 64 scripts showed as text when named .txt. |
The two kinds do not overlap on any test. A tool that reads the first line, or the file output, never mixed them up. The one weak spot is the ending, and a browser learns nothing from it.
What six databases say about DXL files
We also looked up .dxl in six file type databases: Debian media-types 10.1.0, Apache httpd trunk, nginx master, shared-mime-info 2.4, Python 3.13 and mime-db 1.54.0. We added .xml, .nsf, .ntf, .inc and .dtd, so every row has company. The media type is the label that names a file type for a browser.
None of the six list .dxl. All six list .xml, and five give application/xml. Four list .nsf as application/vnd.lotus-notes. NTF shows up in four lists, but two of them give application/vnd.nitf, a different format with the same letters. No list has .inc, and five list .dtd as application/xml-dtd. Python reads the system list, so its column repeats Debian's.
The file command has no DXL rule either. libmagic 5.45 names our Domino files XML and our scripts C source or text. shared-mime-info has no line for the Lotus namespace.
Read the study with care. It shows what free tools do with a sample set. We did not start HCL Domino, Notes, Domino Designer, the DXL importer or IBM DOORS. The Domino files come from a test set made for an import tool, so they say little about email DXL files. We did not start any DOORS script, and we did not test the vendor viewers or converters.
What Does Our Expert Say About DXL Files? A note from Neeraj Singh on reading the first line
Read the first line before you do anything else with DXL files. It names the kind in a second, and the kind decides the program, the safety rules and the repair steps.
Expert insight
“DXL files are two kinds of file under one ending. In our checks, the first line sorted all 104, so read it before you choose a program. Then treat the kinds differently, because Domino DXL files are data and DOORS DXL files are code.”
Why the first line comes first
The first line is cheap to check, and the wrong program wastes time. Domino DXL files opened in DOORS do nothing useful. DOORS scripts loaded into Domino tools are not XML. The line settles it before you install anything.
The check has a limit, and our damage tests show it. The file command still called 51 of our 63 damaged copies XML. A good first line means the DXL file starts well. It does not mean the DXL file ends well.
Save the sender's original. Keep the first copy of DXL files before you edit them, convert them or load them into databases. A fix writes a new file, and the original is the only copy that the sender can check against.
How Do You Open DXL Files? Editors, browsers, Domino, DOORS and viewers
Open Domino DXL files in text editors, in browsers after a rename or in HCL Domino Designer. Open DOORS DXL files in IBM DOORS, or in text editors to read them. Viewers are the third route for DXL files that contain email.
FileInfo's program list names HCL Domino Designer, IBM Domino, Microsoft XML Notepad, Notepad and gVim for Domino DXL files on Windows. For DOORS scripts it names IBM Rational DOORS and Notepad. For a Mac it names Domino Designer, and for Linux it names Domino Designer, IBM Domino and Vim.
| Program | What it does |
|---|---|
| Any text editor | Shows both kinds. FileInfo lists Notepad and gVim for Windows, Vim for Linux and Microsoft XML Notepad for Domino files. |
| A browser | Shows Domino DXL files as an XML tree after you rename a copy to .xml. The .dxl ending downloaded in all 104 of our tests. |
| HCL Domino Designer | Has a DXL Viewer, Exporter and Transformer under Tools and DXL Utilities. FileInfo lists it for Windows, Mac and Linux. |
| HCL Domino and Notes | Bring DXL files into databases with the importer. The HCL forum says DXL files do not open like databases. |
| IBM DOORS | Starts DOORS scripts from Tools and Edit DXL. FileInfo lists it for Windows. |
| SysTools and Freeviewer viewers | Windows viewers for DXL files that contain email. We did not test them. |
| Free libraries | Python and xmllint read Domino DXL files as XML. We used both for the tests on this page. |
We tested only text editors, a browser and free libraries. We did not start Domino Designer, DOORS or the vendor viewers.
Open Domino DXL files on Windows
- Read the first line with the kind check, so you know your DXL file is the Domino kind.
- Copy the file and rename the copy to .xml. Keep the original name for the original.
- Drag the copy into your browser. We tested Chromium, and it showed an XML tree. You can also open the copy in Notepad or XML Notepad.
- For a file over a few MB, use an editor built for large files or read it with code. Our 6.2 MB file loaded in under 0.1 seconds in Python.
- If the DXL file contains email, use a viewer from the viewer part.
If you have Domino Designer, its DXL Viewer shows the DXL file as formatted XML. HCL's help page lists the steps.
Open DXL files on a Mac or Linux PC
Any text editor works for both kinds on both systems. On Linux we used xmllint and Python for every test. One xmllint command shows whether Domino DXL files are well formed.
xmllint --noout export.dxlNo output means the XML is well formed. An error names the line, as the xmllint examples show.
Open DXL files on an iPad, iPhone or Android phone
A phone can show either kind in a text viewer, because both kinds are text. We did not test any mobile app. Big files are slow, because Domino DXL files reached 6.2 MB in our set.
Open DOORS DXL files
Follow the four steps in the DOORS section. A text editor shows the script and starts nothing, so read it there first.
View email DXL files without Notes
Viewers are the right route when DXL files contain email and you have no Notes. Two Windows viewers come from the sites that this guide belongs to.
SysTools DXL Viewer
Opens Lotus Notes DXL email files with attachments and rich text
Freeviewer Lotus Notes DXL Viewer
Reads DXL email messages without Notes or a Domino server
SysTools says Lotus Notes is not needed to open DXL messages, and that its free version only previews the data. Freeviewer says the same about Notes and a Domino server. Both say there is no limit on file size or file count. We did not test either one, so treat those lines as the vendors' own claims.
Viewers show, they do not repair. Viewers open DXL files and leave them alone. If DXL files are broken, viewers can still fail. The repair steps list the fixes in order.
Are DXL Files Safe to Open? Domino exports are data, and DOORS scripts are code
Domino DXL files are data, so reading them is low risk. DOORS DXL files are code that IBM DOORS can start, so treat them like programs. Check the sender, read the first line and read scripts before you start them.
The ending says nothing about safety, because it covers both kinds. The risk comes from what the file is. Domino exports are copies of someone's database. DOORS scripts are programs. The table lists what to check, and the last part of every row names the source.
| Check | What to do and the source |
|---|---|
| The sender | Open DXL files from people you know. Domino DXL files are data, but DOORS DXL files are code. Source: Our advice. |
| The first line | Read it in a text editor before you choose a program. The kind decides the risk. Source: Our tests. |
| Programs and files |
DOORS scripts can read and write files and start programs. IBM's manual has chapters on both, and 2 of our 64 scripts call system. Source: IBM DXL reference manual and our tests.
|
| The time limit |
pragma runLim, 0 switches off the time-out, and 27 of our 64 scripts use it. A script with no limit keeps going until it ends. Source: IBM DXL reference manual and our tests.
|
| Administrator blocks | DOORS administrators can switch DXL off. If DXL is blocked at your company, do not look for a way around it. Source: IBM guide to developing DXL. |
| Names and design inside | A Domino export can contain the access list and the design. 31 of our 39 readable files had an access list, and some of those lists named people. Do not post an export in public. Source: Our tests. |
| Converter sites | DXL files can contain mail or business data. Do not upload it to a site you do not know. Source: Our advice. |
What Domino DXL files can show about their owners
Domino exports describe databases in full. They can name the people on the access list, show the design and list agents that automate tasks. Our samples came from a public test set, and the access lists still named people. Before you send an export outside your company, open it in a text editor and check what it names.
Why importing is a different risk
Reading Domino DXL files in an editor starts nothing. Importing it is another step. HCL's import options let you bring in the design, the documents and the access list. We did not test the importer, so choose those options with care and import into a test database first.
Do not trust a free DXL opener from search. Search results for DXL openers can come from anyone. Get a viewer from the vendor's own site, and read the guide to Windows EXE installers before you start any installer.
Why Will Your DXL File Not Open? Ten causes, and what to do about every one
Most DXL files that will not open fail for one of ten reasons. The first is the ending, because a browser downloads a .dxl file instead of showing it. Damage comes next, and 48 of our 63 damaged copies stopped an XML parser. Nine changed without a sound.
We damaged six Domino DXL files in 11 ways. That gave 63 copies, because the base64 change fits only the three files that contain base64 text. The file command still called 51 of the copies XML. A strict parser stopped on 48. The other 15 parsed, and nine of those had silently changed text or data.
So a green light from file or from a parser does not prove that your DXL file is the file the sender made. The table lists ten causes in the order we would check them. The numbers come from our copies and from IBM and HCL pages.
| Cause (number) | What you see and the fix |
|---|---|
| The browser downloads it (1) | No database that we checked lists .dxl, and Chromium downloaded all 104 files and showed none. Fix: Copy the file and rename the copy to .xml for Domino files or to .txt for DOORS scripts. |
| The wrong program (2) | A double-click does not open Domino files in Notes like databases, and it does not start DOORS scripts. Fix: Read the first line, then use a program from the open section. |
| A cut-off download or email (3) |
The file stops early. A parser failed on 6 of 6 copies cut in half and on 6 of 6 with the closing tag cut off. The file command still called all 12 XML. Fix: Download the DXL file again and compare its size with the size the sender sees.
|
| A broken tag or quote (4) | A damaged closing tag name or a dropped quote stopped the parser on 12 of 12 copies. Fix: Use an editor that marks XML errors, or ask for a fresh export. |
| A raw ampersand (5) |
XML needs & where the text has an ampersand. One stray ampersand stopped the parser on 6 of 6 copies. Fix: Replace it at the line that the error names.
|
| A wrong encoding (6) | A label that says utf-16 on a UTF-8 file stopped the parser on 6 of 6 copies, and recovery mode returned no elements. Three of our 64 DOORS scripts are ISO 8859 text, so accents look wrong in UTF-8. Fix: Make the label match the DXL file, or reopen the script as Western European text. |
| Junk or a zero byte (7) |
A blank line and a stray letter before the XML line stopped the parser on 6 of 6 copies, and file stopped calling them XML. One inserted zero byte stopped 6 of 6, and file said data. Fix: Delete anything before <?xml, or download the DXL file again.
|
| A missing namespace (8) |
Without the xmlns attribute, the XML parsed on 6 of 6 copies and the text matched. But the DXL file no longer names the Lotus namespace, so our script called it XML with no Lotus namespace. Fix: Put xmlns="http:// back on the database element.
|
| A silent change (9) | One changed letter or one changed base64 character left the XML valid on 9 of 9 copies, and the parser said nothing. Fix: Compare the DXL file with the sender's original, for example by checksum. |
| A script that DOORS blocks (10) | IBM says an administrator can switch DXL off. Fix: Ask the DOORS administrator, and do not look for a way around the block. |
Repair steps in the order we would try them
We did not test Domino or DOORS repairs. These steps come from our parser tests and from the vendors' help pages.
- Copy the file first and work on the copy.
- Use the first line test, then compare the DXL file size with the size the sender sees.
- For Domino files, use xmllint. It names the first error and its line.
- Fix that error in a text editor, then use xmllint again. Repeat until it prints nothing.
- If the DXL file is cut off, download it again. Recovery mode in the lxml library brought back every element for the cut closing tag, but only part of the DXL file when we cut it in half. It is no cure.
- Ask the sender for a fresh export. The Exporter under DXL Utilities in Domino Designer writes a new file.
Here is what xmllint printed for two of our damaged copies. The first had its closing tag cut off. The second had a stray ampersand.
$ xmllint --noout export-cut.dxl
export-cut.dxl:268: parser error : Premature end of data in tag database line 4$ xmllint --noout export-ampersand.dxl
export-ampersand.dxl:132: parser error : xmlParseEntityRef: no name
<text>J & </text>
^The number after the file name is the line to look at. The text after it says what the parser expected.
What to send the sender or a helper
A short message gets a faster answer. Include the details below. Send the first line too, because it names the kind in one line.
Subject: DXL file will not open
File name: export.dxl (add the size in bytes)
First line: paste the first line of the file
Program: Domino Designer, IBM DOORS, a browser or an editor, with the version
What happens: the exact words of the error
What you tried: xmllint, a rename to .xml, another viewerWhat no repair can fix
Do not try random repair sites. A site that offers to repair any DXL file for free can keep the upload. Try the steps above first, and ask the sender for a new export.
How Do You Convert a DXL File? CSV, HTML and email tools
Convert Domino DXL files to CSV or HTML when you want the documents in tables. Use a vendor converter for email DXL files. DOORS scripts are not data, so there is nothing to convert. In our tests, every document became one CSV row and one HTML table, and the binary parts did not come along.
There are two kinds of conversion. One makes a table from the documents. The other moves email into Outlook formats. Choose by what you need next.
| Direction | What we found and the source |
|---|---|
| DXL to CSV | Yes, with the short script below. It writes one row for every document. The rows matched the documents in all 39 readable files. Source: Our tests. |
| DXL to HTML | Yes, with a short XSLT style sheet that writes one table for every document. The tables matched the documents in all 39 files. Source: Our tests. |
| DXL to XML | Domino DXL files already are XML. Rename a copy to .xml. Source: Our tests. |
| DXL to PST, PDF or MSG | SysTools says its DXL to PST Converter exports email to PST, PDF and MSG, and that it needs Outlook. Its free demo converts 25 emails. We did not test it. Source: SysTools converter page. |
| DXL to a database | Yes. HCL's DXLImporter brings DXL back into a database. We did not test it. Source: HCL export and import guide. |
| DOORS DXL to anything | A script is not data, so there is nothing to convert. Read it in an editor or start it in DOORS. Source: Our advice. |
Convert Domino DXL files to CSV
The script below reads Domino DXL files with the lxml library and writes one CSV row for every document. Save it as dxl_to_csv.py.
"""Write one CSV row per <document> in a Domino DXL file. Usage: python3 dxl_to_csv.py file.dxl out.csv"""
import csv, sys
from lxml import etree
NS = {"d": "http://www.lotus.com/dxl"}
def flatten(item):
# all text inside the item, joined with spaces. Binary parts are skipped.
skip = {"object", "attachmentref", "picture", "gif", "jpeg", "notesbitmap"}
parts = []
for node in item.iter():
name = etree.QName(node).localname if isinstance(node.tag, str) else ""
if name in skip:
continue
if node.text and node.text.strip():
parts.append(node.text.strip())
return " | ".join(parts)
def main(src, dest):
root = etree.parse(src).getroot()
docs = root.xpath("//d:document", namespaces=NS)
names = []
rows = []
for doc in docs:
row = {}
for item in doc.xpath("d:item", namespaces=NS):
n = item.get("name")
if n not in names:
names.append(n)
row[n] = flatten(item)
rows.append(row)
with open(dest, "w", newline="", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
w = csv.DictWriter(fh, fieldnames=names)
w.writeheader()
w.writerows(rows)
return len(docs), len(names)
if __name__ == "__main__":
d, c = main(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])
print(d, "documents,", c, "columns")$ python3 dxl_to_csv.py documents-export.dxl documents.csv
2 documents, 2 columnsWe used it on the 39 readable files. The CSV rows matched the documents in all 39. The 1,000 document file, at 6.2 MB, took 0.14 seconds. The CSV files add up to 15.9 MB against 38.2 MB of XML.
The script joins the pieces of rich text into one cell, with a bar between the pieces, and it skips binary parts. Seven of the 39 files contain only design, so their CSV files are empty. In our largest binary file, 99.5 percent of the bytes were base64, and the CSV was 681 bytes.
Convert Domino DXL files to HTML
A short XSLT 1.0 style sheet writes one HTML table for every document. We applied it with lxml. The HTML came out at 86 percent of the XML size, and the table count matched the documents in all 39 files. A browser shows the result, and you can print it.
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform"
xmlns:d="http://www.lotus.com/dxl">
<xsl:output method="html" indent="yes"/>
<xsl:template match="/">
<html>
<body>
<h1><xsl:value-of select="d:database/@title"/></h1>
<xsl:apply-templates select="d:database/d:document"/>
</body>
</html>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="d:document">
<table border="1">
<xsl:apply-templates select="d:item"/>
</table>
</xsl:template>
<xsl:template match="d:item">
<tr>
<th><xsl:value-of select="@name"/></th>
<td><xsl:value-of select="."/></td>
</tr>
</xsl:template>
</xsl:stylesheet>Convert email DXL files
Email needs a different tool, because Outlook formats are not XML. SysTools publishes a Windows converter for it.
SysTools DXL to PST Converter
Converts DXL email to PST, PDF and MSG
SysTools says the converter needs Outlook on the PC, and its free demo converts 25 emails. We did not test it.
Keep the original DXL file. A CSV drops the binary parts and an HTML page shows only names and values. Save every converted copy under a new name, and keep the DXL file.
DXL or XML: What Is the Difference? Also NSF, NTF, DTD and DXF
Domino DXL files are XML files with a Lotus namespace, so any XML tool reads them. NSF is the Notes database itself, and DXL is the text export of that database. Do not mix up DXL with DXF, the CAD text format.
The letters look alike across these endings, and the roles differ. The table lists the near neighbours. The last part of every row names the source.
| Format | What it is and the source |
|---|---|
| Domino DXL |
XML text that describes a Domino database. The root element is database, in the Lotus namespace. Source: HCL and our tests.
|
| XML | The general text format. Domino DXL files are XML, and 39 of our 40 parsed as ordinary XML. Source: HCL and our tests. |
| NSF | The Notes database itself, in a binary format. Debian, Apache, Python and mime-db list it as application/vnd.lotus-notes. Source: Our database check. |
| NTF | A Notes template. Two of the lists say Lotus Notes and two say NITF, a different format. Source: Our database check. |
| DTD | The rule file that a DOCTYPE line names. Five lists give application/xml-dtd. Source: Our database check. |
| DXF | A CAD text format from the Autodesk world. It has nothing to do with Domino or DOORS. Source: Our DWG guide. |
| DOORS DXL |
Script text with C-like code. The file command called 33 of our 64 scripts C source. Source: IBM and our tests.
|
Which one do you need
Our database check adds one fact. Domino DXL files have no entry in any list, while NSF has four. So browsers and servers know the database better than its text export.
What Else Does DXL Mean? A Braille label and MP3 data
Four things use the DXL ending. Two are common, Domino XML files and DOORS scripts. Two are rare, a Duxbury Braille label and Dapyx MP3 Explorer data. Check the first line before you look at the rare ones.
Anyone can rename files, so endings are hints and not proofs. The table lists the meanings that we found. The FileInfo record lists the first two, and the File-Extensions.org record and the Filext page list all four.
| Ending | What it is and the source |
|---|---|
| .dxl | Domino XML Language File. An XML export from Domino. Source: FileInfo and HCL. |
| .dxl | DOORS Extension Language script. C-like text for IBM DOORS. Source: FileInfo and IBM. |
| .inc |
A DOORS library file that a script pulls in with #include. Source: IBM DOORS documentation.
|
| .dxl | Duxbury Braille Translator label file. File-Extensions.org says it contains a label. Source: File-Extensions.org and Filext. |
| .dxl | Dapyx MP3 Explorer data. File-Extensions.org marks it obsolete. Source: File-Extensions.org and Filext. |
| .dxf | A CAD exchange file. It has no link to Domino or DOORS. Source: Our DWG guide. |
| .nsf | The Notes database that Domino DXL files describe. Source: Our database check. |
| .xml | The ending to give copies of Domino DXL files when you want a browser to show them. Source: Our tests. |
Braille and MP3 files
File-Extensions.org lists the Duxbury Braille Translator record as a label file for software that blind people use. It lists the Dapyx MP3 Explorer record as data for an MP3 database tool on Windows. Filext lists both too. We had no sample of either, so we cannot say what they look like inside.
Files renamed to .dxl
We saved a text note as .dxl, and our script found no sign of either kind. If your file is something else, rename it back and use the right program. A zero byte in the first 2,000 bytes also points away from both kinds, because both are text.
CAD drawings with a similar ending
The letters DXL and DXF differ by one. If your file is a drawing, read the guide to AutoCAD DWG drawings, which covers the DXF text format too.
What Is the DXL File Format Made Of? The facts we could check, from HCL, IBM and our tests
DXL is not one format. HCL documents the Domino kind with a DTD reference, and IBM documents the DOORS kind with a reference manual. The rest of the public facts come from FileInfo, PRONOM and our own checks of 104 files.
| Part | What we could check |
|---|---|
| Maker | HCL for Domino DXL, which IBM and Lotus built before. IBM for DOORS DXL. FileInfo names IBM as the developer of both types. |
| Kind | Domino DXL is XML text. DOORS DXL is C-like script text. The two rare uses are label data and MP3 data. |
| Domino header |
The root element is database, in the namespace http://. A DOCTYPE line can name a DTD like domino_6_5.dtd.
|
| Specification | HCL publishes a DTD reference for Domino DXL. IBM publishes a DXL reference manual for DOORS. |
| Media type | None in the six lists that we checked. |
| File command |
The file command 5.45 has no DXL rule. It named our Domino files XML and our scripts C source or text.
|
| Registries | The National Archives lists Domino XML Database Export as fmt/572. It has one rule for the DOCTYPE line and one for a document element. |
| Binary parts | Pictures and objects are stored as base64 text. About 10 percent of the characters in our Domino files were base64. |
| Time limit |
In DOORS DXL, pragma runLim sets a time-out, and 0 means no limit.
|
| Other claimants | File-Extensions.org and Filext also list Duxbury Braille label data and Dapyx MP3 Explorer data. |
| Age | Our Domino samples date from 2001 to 2009. FileInfo updated its DOORS entry in 2011 and its Domino entry in 2014. |
About the values we list
The facts about DXL files come from HCL and IBM pages, FileInfo, File-Extensions.org, Filext, PRONOM and Wikipedia. They also come from our own checks of 104 files and six databases. We read them in October 2026. FileInfo's pages are old, so we used them as lists of programs and not as current advice.
The HCL pages we cite cover Domino Designer versions 10, 12 and 14. Where two sources differ, we follow the newer page.
What we left out
We did not start HCL Domino, Notes, Domino Designer, the DXL importer, IBM DOORS or any vendor viewer or converter. We found no email DXL file to test. We did not study .inc files, and we name no prices.
Our Domino samples come from one test set, and our scripts come from five public collections. The results show what free tools do, and not what HCL or IBM software does.
Sources checked
For Domino DXL, see the HCL DTD reference, the HCL guide to exporting and importing DXL and the HCL help on viewing DXL. Also see the HCL exporter DOCTYPE help and the HCL forum answer on opening DXL.
For DOORS DXL, see the IBM DXL development guide, the IBM IBM manual for DXL and the Wikipedia article on DOORS Extension Language.
For the extension and the records, see FileInfo for DXL, the National Archives record, the File-Extensions.org entry and the Filext entry.
Every count and label came from the files and scripts in our research folder.
Frequently Asked Questions About DXL Files
What is a DXL file?
DXL files are text files with two unrelated meanings. Domino DXL files are XML exports from HCL Notes and Domino. DOORS DXL files are scripts for IBM DOORS. The first line of the file shows which one you have.
How do I open a DXL file?
Open it in a text editor first, because both kinds are text. A browser shows Domino DXL files as an XML tree if you rename a copy to .xml. Use HCL Domino Designer for Domino files and IBM DOORS for scripts.
What does DXL stand for?
It stands for two things. In Domino it is the Domino version of XML, and FileInfo calls the type Domino XML Language File. In IBM DOORS it means DOORS Extension Language.
Why will my DXL file not open?
Check the ending first. No database that we checked lists .dxl, and Chromium downloaded all 104 of our files. Other causes are cut-off downloads, broken tags, a wrong encoding and a missing namespace. Our table lists ten causes and fixes.
How do I know if a DXL file is Domino or DOORS?
Read the first line. Domino files start with an XML line. DOORS scripts show code, comments or pragma lines. All 40 of our Domino files started with the XML line, and none of the 64 scripts did.
Is a DXL file safe to open?
Domino DXL files are data, so reading them is low risk. DOORS DXL files are code that IBM DOORS can start, so read them in a text editor first. Two of our 64 scripts call system to start another program.
What is the difference between DXL and XML?
Domino DXL files are XML with a Lotus namespace, so any XML tool reads them. 39 of our 40 Domino files parsed as XML, and the 40th is broken on purpose. DOORS DXL files are not XML at all.
What is the difference between DXL and NSF?
NSF is the Notes database itself, in a binary format. DXL is a text export of a database. HCL's importer brings DXL files back into databases. The HCL forum says DXL files do not open in the Notes client like databases.
How do I convert a DXL file to CSV?
Read Domino files with a script and write one row for every document. Our short Python script did that for 5,542 documents in 39 readable files. It skips binary parts, so a CSV is not a full copy.
How do I convert DXL email to PST?
SysTools says its DXL to PST Converter exports DXL email to PST, PDF and MSG, and that it needs Outlook. Its free demo converts 25 emails. We did not test it.
What is a DXL file in IBM DOORS?
DXL files in DOORS are scripts written in DOORS Extension Language. The code looks like C. You start them from the Edit DXL window under Tools. An administrator can block DXL.
Is DXL the same as DXF?
No. DXF is a CAD drawing exchange format from the Autodesk world. DXL is a Domino or DOORS file. Only the letters look alike. If you have a drawing, read our DWG guide.
Still Stuck With a DXL File? Eight routes out, depending on what went wrong
Rename a copy to .xml for a Domino file or to .txt for a script. Ten reasons for the download are in the causes table.
Use xmllint and read the first error. Steps for xmllint errors show what the messages mean.
Is it a CAD drawing? The page on DWG drawings covers the AutoCAD format that DXF files exchange.
Is it an NSF file? The page on NSF databases covers the Notes database that Domino DXL files describe.
Did you get email in other formats? See the guide to Outlook MSG files and the guide to MBOX mailboxes.
Do you need a spreadsheet? CSVs from Domino DXL files open in Excel, and the guide to XLS files explains that format.
Do you need an installer for a viewer? The page on EXE files explains the Windows installers.
Is it a file type you do not know? Browse the file extension resource library, or send it to us on the submit a file type page.