Hi, Wondered if anyone could help me out please. I am using XML::Simple to parse a simple xml document. I would like to end up with a nice hash without any embedded arrays. This is a sample of the xml:

  <overview execute_time="2012/08/30-10:38" xml_version="01-50-02" too
+l_version="01-50-02" save_time="2012/08/30-10:37" dkc_type="RAID600" 
+micro_version="60-08-11-00/00" dkc_serial="17353" /> 
 <host_grps number_of_ports="32">
 <port port_id="CL1-A" number_of_host_grps="1">
 <host_grp host_grp_name="1A-G00" host_grp_id="CL1-A-0">
  <host_mode>LINUX</host_mode> 
  </host_grp>
  </port>
 <port port_id="CL3-A" number_of_host_grps="1">
 <host_grp host_grp_name="3A-G00" host_grp_id="CL3-A-0">
  <host_mode>LINUX</host_mode> 
  </host_grp>
  </port>
...
[download]

Here is my problem: I want the attribute host_grp_id="CL1-A-0" as a key so I execute:

my $ref = XMLin('host_grp.xml', KeyAttr => { host_grps => 'port',  por
+t => "port_id", host_grp => "host_grp_id" }, ForceArray => 'host_grp_
+id' );
[download]

gives me this:

$VAR1 = {
          'overview' => [
                        {
                          'xml_version' => '01-50-02',
                          'save_time' => '2012/08/30-10:37',
                          'tool_version' => '01-50-02',
                          'execute_time' => '2012/08/30-10:38',
                          'dkc_serial' => '17353',
                          'micro_version' => '60-08-11-00/00',
                          'dkc_type' => 'RAID600'
                        }
                      ],
          'host_grps' => [
                         {
                           'port' => {
                                     'CL2-A' => {
                                                'host_grp' => {
                                                              'CL2-A-0
+' => {
                                                                      
+     'host_mode' => [
                                                                      
+                    'LINUX'
                                                                      
+                  ],
                                                                      
+     'host_grp_name' => '2A-G00'
                                                                      
+   }
                                                            },
                                                'number_of_host_grps' 
+=> '1'
                                              },
                                     'CL6-B' => {
                                                'host_grp' => {
                                                              'CL6-B-0
+' => {
                                                                      
+     'host_mode' => [
                                                                      
+                    'LINUX'
                                                                      
+                  ],
                                                                      
+     'host_grp_name' => '6B-G00'
                                                                      
+   },
                                                              'CL6-B-1
+' => {
                                                                      
+    'host_mode' => [
                                                                      
+                    'LINUX'
                                                                      
+                  ],
                                                                      
+     'host_grp_name' => 'schiphol_srs_gold'
                                                                      
+   }
                                                            },
                                                'number_of_host_grps' 
+=> '2'
                                              },
[download]

But I don't want the 'ports' thrown into an array. If I drop ForceArray and do this instead:

my $ref = XMLin('host_grp.xml', KeyAttr => { host_grps => 'port',  por
+t => "port_id", host_grp => "host_grp_id" } );
[download]

I then get the following:

$VAR1 = {
          'overview' => {
                        'xml_version' => '01-50-02',
                        'save_time' => '2012/08/30-10:37',
                        'tool_version' => '01-50-02',
                        'execute_time' => '2012/08/30-10:38',
                        'dkc_serial' => '17353',
                        'micro_version' => '60-08-11-00/00',
                        'dkc_type' => 'RAID600'
                      },
          'host_grps' => {
                         'port' => {
                                   'CL2-A' => {
                                              'host_grp' => {
                                                            'host_mode
+' => 'LINUX',
                                                            'host_grp_
+id' => 'CL2-A-0',
                                                            'host_grp_
+name' => '2A-G00'
                                                          },
                                              'number_of_host_grps' =>
+ '1'
                                            },
                                   'CL6-B' => {
                                              'host_grp' => {
                                                            'CL6-B-0' 
+=> {
                                                                      
+   'host_mode' => 'LINUX',
                                                                      
+   'host_grp_name' => '6B-G00'
                                                                      
+ },
                                                            'CL6-B-1' 
+=> {
                                                                      
+   'host_mode' => 'LINUX',
                                                                      
+   'host_grp_name' => 'schiphol_srs_gold'
                                                                      
+ }
                                                          },
                                              'number_of_host_grps' =>
+ '2'
                                            },
[download]

Notice that since CL2-A has only one 'host_grp' the host_grp_id which I would like to be a key is folded up making the key unavailable for query in my hash.
Am I just not understanding XML::Simple ?
Please help.
Regards,
Darren
It's ok, I answered my own question: my $ref = XMLin('host_grp.xml',KeyAttr => { host_grp => "host_grp_id", port => "port_id"}, ForceArray => host_grp); One has to ForceArray on the containing group host_grp and the world starts to look bright again. Thanks!