open file.xml ; for /DatatoParse/elt/Nest1/elt/Nest2/elt { my $top = ancestor::elt[last()] ; echo :s $top/d1 , $top/d2 , (d5/X) , (d5/Y) , (d6/X) , (d6/Y) , (Nest3/Nest4/d7/d9/d10/d11) ; }