use XML::Parser; my $XmlFile = "foo.xml"; die "Can't find file \"$XmlFile\"" unless -f $XmlFile; my $pFoundFlag = 0; my $NewFile; my $parser = new XML::Parser(Style => 'Debug'); $parser->setHandlers( Start => \&startElement(), Char => \&char_handler(), End => \&end_Handler, ); $parser->parsefile($XmlFile); sub startElement { my ($parserInst, $element, %attr) = @_; if ($element eq "a") { $pFoundFlag = 1; } if ($pFoundFlag) { if(not $NewFile) { $NewFile = $element; } else { $NewFile .= $element; } } } sub char_handler { my ($parserInst, $data); if ($pFoundFlag) { $NewFile .= $data; } } sub end_Handler { my ($parserInst, $element); if ($pFoundFlag) { $NewFile .= $element; } if ($element eq "a") { $pFoundFlag = 0; } } $OpFile = "foo_outpur.xml"; open (OP, ">$OpFile") or die ("can't open output file!"); print OP $NewFile; close(OP);