IBM The method "normalize" puts all Text nodes in the full depth of the sub-tree underneath this Node, including attribute nodes, into a "normal" form where only structure (e.g., elements, comments, processing instructions, CDATA sections, and entity references) separates Text nodes, i.e., there are neither adjacent Text nodes nor empty Text nodes. Create a dom tree consisting of elements, comments, processing instructions, CDATA sections, and entity references nodes seperated by text nodes. Check the length of the node list of each before and after normalize has been called. Neil Delima 2002-04-24