Question

For my application, I make an HTTPRequest, and get back some XML served from a JSP. That XML has some (yes, I’m aware this is invalid/improper XML. If I can’t find a bandaid, I will try to address that internally) nodes with integers as names, say <2> for example.

When I attempt to access it, using myXMLVariable.child("2"), it returns the third (index=2) XML node instead. I understand that this behavior is "correct". Is there any way to get around this behavior?

---

Example

var myXML:String = "<response>" +
                    "<place1>" +
                    "   <item>1</item>" +
                    "   <stuff>1</stuff>" +
                    "</place1>" +
                    "<2>" +
                    "   <item>1</item>" +
                    "   <stuff>1</stuff>" +
                    "</2>" +
                    "<place3>" +
                    "   <item>1</item>" +
                    "   <stuff>1</stuff>" +
                    "</place3>" +
                    "</response>";

protected function getParam():void
{
    var xml:XML = new XML(myXML);
    
    Alert.show(xml.child("2"));
    //trace(xml.child("2"))
}

xml.child("2") returns

<place3>
    ...
</place3>

…when I want

<2>
    ...
</2>

---

NOTE

I am aware this is invalid XML. I am looking for a workaround, a short term fix. There is a near-future release date, and this workaround will be removed and replaced with proper XML for the next version.

Answer 1

Use E4X search expression on XMLList.

trace(xml.children().(name() == "2").toXMLString());

1. Get all children
2. Search for the name() you need.