The difference between XML::Dumper and Data::DumpXML is that XML::Dumper outputs a much simpler structure, while Data::DumpXML's output is more strctured and more complex. If you just want to dump the config file and read it later then it makes no difference (but then why use XML?), if you want to process it using XML tools then it depends on what you want to do.

I would definitely use Data::DumpXML as it is more complete (it can output properly anything but code references) and as XML::Dumper is not maintained anymore.

As a side comment I never rely on the alpha/beta/whatever status of a module, mainly because the developer is really not the one who should assign it (but then who?):

• some modules are simple and are stable once version 0.03 is out, even though their status is never changed from alpha,
• if the developer uses the module then it probably works for her (hence its production level, even if nobody else can use it),
• some module authors have really high quality expectations, and give alpha status to code that would work in nearly all cases but has no bugs in really specific (and documented) cases (eg Matt Sergeant's XML::SAX::PurePerl), while others release a first version as 1.6 and pretend it's already beta (me ;--)

Hence the need for moreModule Reviews on PerlMonks!