use strict; use XML::Simple; use Data::Dumper; my $text=< one one one two EOF my $p1 = new XML::Simple(); my $tree; my $config = eval { $tree= $p1->XMLin($text, ,ForceArray => ['banana','apple','orange'] # bingo!!! ) }; die("$@\n Ending") if ($@); print "\$tree " . Dumper(\$tree) . "\n"; exit 0; #### - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - $tree $VAR1 = \{ 'cookies' => { 'time' => { 'value' => '235959' }, 'date' => { 'value' => '1231210' } }, 'banana' => { 'date' => { 'value' => '1231210' } }, 'apple' => { 'time' => { 'value' => '235959' }, 'date' => { 'value' => '1231210' } }, 'orange' => [ 'one' ], 'butter' => { 'value' => '1231210', 'name' => 'date' }, 'grape' => [ 'one', 'two' ], 'milk' => 'one' }; - x - x - x - x - x - x - x - x -