sub printNode
{
    my ($theNode) = @_;
    my $thisType    = $theNode->getNodeType;
    my $nodeList    = $theNode->getChildNodes;
    my $name         = $theNode->getNodeName;
    my $attLength;
    my $length         = $nodeList->getLength;
    
    my $attList        = $theNode->getAttributes;
    if( $attList ){ $attLength = $attList->getLength };
        
    #print $sep x ($depth), "-NodeName: '$name' (type $thisType, $leng
+th children)\n";
    
    $depth++;
    
    for(my $i=0; $i<$length; $i++)
    {
        my $node     = $nodeList->item($i);
        my $theType    =$node->getNodeType;
        my $j=$i+1;

        if ($theType == ELEMENT_NODE )
        {
            #print $sep x ($depth), "[$j]Element Node: '", $node->getT
+agName, "'\n";
            #Recursive call to itself
            printNode( $node );
        }
        elsif ($theType == TEXT_NODE )
        {
            my $temp = $node->getData;
            #Sub out the tabs and newlines with text equivalents
            $temp =~ s/\n/\\n/g;
            $temp =~ s/\t/\\t/g;
            unless ($name eq "provinces") {
                print $sep x ($depth), $name.qq~="~.$temp.qq~"\n~;
            }
        }
        else
        {
            print $sep x ($depth), "[$j]UNKNOWN Node: ", $node->getNod
+eName, "\n";
        }
    }

    $depth--;
}
[download]

path="smallbusiness"
                en_title="Small Business"
                fr_title="Petites Entreprises"
                hideFromMenu="false"
                hideBreadcrumbs="false"
                    path="products"
                    en_title="Products and Services"
                    fr_title="Produits et Services"
                    hideFromMenu="false"
                    hideBreadcrumbs="false"
                        path="wireless"
                        en_title="Wireless"
                        fr_title="Sans fil"
                        hideFromMenu="false"
                        hideBreadcrumbs="false"
                            path="devices"
                            en_title="Phones and Devices"
                            fr_title="Tlphones et Appareils"
                            portalPageLabel="smb_products_services_wir
+eless_devices"
                            hideFromMenu="false"
                            hideBreadcrumbs="false"
                                path="details"
                                en_title="Details"
                                fr_title="Dtails"
                                portalPageLabel="smb_products_services
+_wireless_devices_details"
                                hideFromMenu="true"
                                hideBreadcrumbs="true"
                            path="plans"
                            en_title="Plans"
                            fr_title="Forfaits"
                            portalPageLabel="smb_products_services_wir
+eless_plans"
                            hideFromMenu="false"
                            hideBreadcrumbs="false"
[download]

Reading between the lines (which you've still not shown) you seem to be translating tags to turn a database represented in XML into a nested menu structure represented in XML. In the absence of the sample code I suggested earlier I've invented a sample and you can either modify it or write your own if my invention doesn't match your need:

#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;
use warnings;
use XML::Twig;


my $twig = XML::Twig->new(
    start_tag_handlers => {_all_ => \&convert,},
    pretty_print       => 'indented_a'
    );
$twig->parse(*DATA);
$twig->print();


sub convert {
    my ($twig, $elt) = @_;

    $elt->set_tag('menuitem');
}


__DATA__
<lvl_1 path="smallbusiness"
    en_title="Small Business" fr_title="Petites Entreprises"
    hideFromMenu="false" hideBreadcrumbs="false"
>
    <lvl_2 path="products"
        en_title="Products and Services" fr_title="Produits et Service
+s"
        hideFromMenu="false" hideBreadcrumbs="false"
    />
</lvl_1>
[download]

Prints:

<menuitem
    en_title="Small Business"
    fr_title="Petites Entreprises"
    hideBreadcrumbs="false"
    hideFromMenu="false"
    path="smallbusiness">
  <menuitem
      en_title="Products and Services"
      fr_title="Produits et Services"
      hideBreadcrumbs="false"
      hideFromMenu="false"
      path="products"
  />
</menuitem>
[download]

True laziness is hard work

Thanks for the kick in the butt.

GrandFather was actually trying to help you - by posting a concise, easily digestable description of the problem, you are much more likely to get the pointers you are looking for.

I have spent most of my evening on this

Well, it is your evening - don't expect people to wade through screenfuls of text to try to figure out your problem. See above.

mjscott2702:

I notice from your user node that you're in Scotland, so a quick note: he used "Thanks for the kick in the butt" as slang for "Oops! Thanks for pointing me in the right direction", with a bit of self deprecation (like Homer Simpson's "D'oh!") thrown in. "Thanks for the whack with the cluebat" would be an equivalent expression (among a bazillion others).

...roboticus

When your only tool is a hammer, all problems look like your thumb.

I was by no means trying to insult anyone; just trying to articulate I was working toward a solution. thanks.