# read XML file
	$data = $xml->XMLin($contents, keyattr => {property => 'type'});


	
	# finding protein names
	@names = ();
	
	$names_ref = $data->{entry}->{protein}->{name};
	
	if (ref($names_ref) eq 'ARRAY')		## more than one name
	{
		@nameArray = @$names_ref;		## so derefrence to array and step through
		
		foreach $nameA_ref (@nameArray)
		{
			if (ref($nameA_ref) eq 'HASH')	## it shouldn't be a hash, but sometimes it is
			{
				%nameTable = %$nameA_ref;
				push (@names, $nameTable{"content"});
			}
			else	## it is a friendly scalar
			{
				push (@names, $nameA_ref);
			}
		}
	}
	else		## only one name, so $names_ref is probably a scalar
	{
		if (ref($names_ref) eq 'HASH')	## it shouldn't be a hash, but sometimes it is
		{
			%namesTable = %$names_ref;
			push (@names, $namesTable{"content"});
		}
		else	## it is a friendly scalar
		{
			push (@names, $names_ref);
		}
}