Getting dizzy cutting circles!

[irving2008]

Or are there different types of XML file?

As you know Lee, there is only one true XML file structure, a heirachy of named nodes, which looks like:

 
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root node>
 <block with named nodes>
   <data item 1>some data</data item 1>
   <data item 2>some data</data item 2>
   <data item 3>some data</data item 3>
 </block with named nodes>
 <another block with repeated nodes>
   <data item>some data</data item>
   <data item>some data</data item>
   <data item>some data</data item>
 </another block with repeated nodes>
</root node>

Its possible to use the .XML extension for something else but that would be silly..
Its also possible that file might be mis-formed - no closing label to a node for example, that could cause it to get misread, or a node incorrectly named. But you'd expect the reading program to cope with that and flag it to the user.

XML is heavily used for program and system configuration and works... we have over 400 servers and it would be a nightmare if it didnt...