When you first create a configuration file in your Integration Services project, the XML contents of the file are just laid out in one long line. This makes reading and/or modifying this file more challenging than it needs to be.
There is an easy way to format your file to alleviate this issue. In BIDS, go to File/Open/File, as in the image below:
Browse to your configuration file and select it to open within BIDS.
My brand new configuration file looks like this image below:
You see that the contents are all on one line. Bleh.
To fix that, you can go to Edit/Advanced/Format Document, as shown below:
I have done that to my config file and now it looks like this:
As you can see, this is much easier to deal with. Just save this document and close it. Now, even when you open it in Notepad, that formatting persists.
This little trick can make dealing with your configurations files a bit easier.
Mark Vaillancourt 
Good points! You may also want to check-out bids-helper on codeplex. it has some good features (including the automatic formating of config files) http://bidshelper.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=dtsConfigFormatter&referringTitle=Home
LikeLike
Nice. Hadn’t seen that option before. To just view the files in BIDS in the cleaner format you can just leverage BIDS Helper as well:) Another assume feature that is included…and it is all free thanks to CodePlex – http://bidshelper.codeplex.com/wikipage?title=dtsConfigFormatter&referringTitle=Home.
LikeLike
I am just getting acquainted with BIDS Helper and had not seen that feature yet. Sweet. Thanks, gents.
LikeLike
K + D. Much quicker…
LikeLike
That is CONTROL K + CONTROL D. It stripped my last attempt. 😉
LikeLike
K + D. Much quicker…
LikeLike
Very nice bit..thanks
LikeLike
Awesome site, thank You !!
LikeLike
I am having an insomnia week. And, finally settled on actually watching something useful on YouTube. Thankful that I stumbled on the video titled Sql Saturday #332 Interviews at KFAI Radio. And, that led me to your Blog and furthermore to this video.
Sincere & Heartfelt Gratitude,
Daniel
LikeLike