A lightweight developer tool for SIMATIC WinCC Open Architecture projects, providing reliable PNL ⇄ XML transformations for UI panels. This package is part of the modular winccoa-tools-pack ecosystem, which delivers modern development tooling, reusable libraries, and VS Code extensions for WinCC OA engineers. github.com

• PNL → XML conversion
  Transform classic .pnl UI panel files into structured XML suitable for analysis, automation, and editor tooling.

• XML → PNL conversion
  Regenerate WinCC OA .pnl files from XML to enable round-trip workflows and external processing.

• Tooling-friendly design
  Built to integrate with next-generation WinCC OA development tools such as VS Code extensions, reusable workflows, and advanced analysis pipelines, consistent with the overall goals of the winccoa-tools-pack organization.

• Modern project template
  Generated from the shared npm-winccoa-template to ensure consistent structure, CI/CD, TypeScript setup, linting, and maintainability across the ecosystem.

npm install @winccoa-tools-pack/npm-winccoa-ui-pnl-xml

Or globally:

npm install -g @winccoa-tools-pack/npm-winccoa-ui-pnl-xml

# Convert .pnl → .xml (in-place)
winccoa-pnl-xml convert pnl-to-xml about.pnl --version 3.20

# Convert .xml → .pnl (in-place)
winccoa-pnl-xml convert xml-to-pnl about.xml --version 3.20

# Optional flags
#   --config <path>   Use a specific project config file
#   --overwrite       Overwrite existing output files
#   --timeout <ms>    Increase process timeout

• Conversion is performed by WinCC OA WCCOAui and is in-place (the input file is rewritten).
• WinCC OA may create a .bak file next to the input.
• The input passed to -p is typically resolved relative to the project’s panels/ directory. Use --config if you need to point the converter at a specific project context.

import { pnlToXml, xmlToPnl } from "@winccoa-tools-pack/npm-winccoa-ui-pnl-xml";

// Note: WinCC OA performs the conversion in-place and may create a .bak backup.
// The input path is typically resolved relative to the project’s panels/ directory.

const pnlToXmlResult = await pnlToXml({
  version: "3.20",
  inputPath: "about.pnl",
  // configPath: "C:/path/to/project/config/config",
  // overwrite: true,
  // timeout: 120_000,
});

if (!pnlToXmlResult.success) {
  throw new Error(`Conversion failed (exit ${pnlToXmlResult.exitCode}): ${pnlToXmlResult.stderr}`);
}

const xmlToPnlResult = await xmlToPnl({
  version: "3.20",
  inputPath: "about.xml",
});

console.log({ pnlToXmlResult, xmlToPnlResult });

More details: see docs/USAGE.md.

• Non-zero exit code: inspect stderr and ensure --version matches your WinCC OA installation.
• Timeouts on large panels: increase --timeout / timeout.
• File not found: remember inputPath is usually relative to panels/ in the active project context.

This package is designed for seamless use with:

• VS Code extensions for WinCC OA development
  Our open source community provides multiple VS Code tools that enhance the engineering workflow for WinCC OA developers. This converter acts as a foundation for UI-related features such as the Panel Explorer.

• Node.js libraries
  Works side-by-side with other libraries in the winccoa-tools-pack suite (project management, core utilities, testing, etc.).

• CI/CD automation
  Ideal for pipelines needing validation or transformation of UI panel resources.

• Automation tokens are recommended for CI/CD (they don't expire but can be revoked)

• The token needs publish permission for your package scope

• For scoped packages (@winccoa-tools-pack/...), ensure your NPM organization allows publishing

If NPM_TOKEN is not configured, the workflow will:

• ✅ Still run tests and build the package
• ✅ Create GitHub releases with artifacts
• ⚠️ Skip NPM publishing with a warning message

You can always publish manually later:

npm publish --access public

# Install dependencies
npm install

# Build the library
npm run build

# Run tests
npm test

# Lint code
npm run lint

Special thanks to all our contributors who make this project possible!

• Martin Pokorny (@mPokornyETM) - Creator & Lead Developer
• And many more amazing contributors!

This project is basically licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

It might happen that partial repositories contain third party SW which uses other license models.

WinCC OA and Siemens are trademarks of Siemens AG. This project is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Siemens AG. This is a community-driven open source project created to enhance the development experience for WinCC OA developers.

Thank you for using WinCC OA tools package! We're excited to be part of your development journey.

Happy Coding! 🚀

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Made with ❤️ for and by the WinCC OA community