diff --git a/lib/xmlParser.lua b/lib/xmlParser.lua
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a2adb6a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/xmlParser.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+
+local xml = {}
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+function xml.parseargs(s)
+  local arg = {}
+  string.gsub(s, "([%-%w]+)=([\"'])(.-)%2", function (w, _, a)
+    arg[w] = a
+  end)
+  return arg
+end
+    
+function xml.collect(s)
+  local stack = {}
+  local top = {}
+  table.insert(stack, top)
+  local ni,c,label,xarg, empty
+  local i, j = 1, 1
+  while true do
+    ni,j,c,label,xarg, empty = string.find(s, "<(%/?)([%w:]+)(.-)(%/?)>", i)
+    if not ni then break end
+    local text = string.sub(s, i, ni-1)
+    if not string.find(text, "^%s*$") then
+      table.insert(top, text)
+    end
+    if empty == "/" then  -- empty element tag
+      table.insert(top, {label=label, xarg=parseargs(xarg), empty=1})
+    elseif c == "" then   -- start tag
+      top = {label=label, xarg=parseargs(xarg)}
+      table.insert(stack, top)   -- new level
+    else  -- end tag
+      local toclose = table.remove(stack)  -- remove top
+      top = stack[#stack]
+      if #stack < 1 then
+        error("nothing to close with "..label)
+      end
+      if toclose.label ~= label then
+        error("trying to close "..toclose.label.." with "..label)
+      end
+      table.insert(top, toclose)
+    end
+    i = j+1
+  end
+  local text = string.sub(s, i)
+  if not string.find(text, "^%s*$") then
+    table.insert(stack[#stack], text)
+  end
+  if #stack > 1 then
+    error("unclosed "..stack[#stack].label)
+  end
+  return stack[1]
+end
+
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+return xml
+
+