Enabling users to edit data encoded in extended markup language (XML). In one embodiment, an XML data to be edited is received and preprocessed to generate a tabular data corresponding to the XML data. The generated tabular data is stored in the form of a staging table in a database. On receiving a request indicating that a portion of the XML data is to be replaced by a new portion, a query corresponding to the request is generated. The query is directed to the staging table in the database and is designed to cause the portion to be replaced by the new portion in the tabular data. The query is then performed on the database to replace the portion with the new portion in the tabular data. Once the edits are completed, new XML data containing the edits is constructed from the modified tabular data.