xml-dev - Ordering of child nodes after parsing

[Gareth Harper <Gareth.Harper@sportal.net>]

Title: Ordering of child nodes after parsing

If, for example I have the following piece of xml

<parent>
        <child attribute="blah1"/>
        <child attribute="blah2"/>
        <child attribute="blah3"/>
</parent>

is it written (in the XML spec) anywhere that the parser must return those child nodes in the order that they have been given.  I know it sounds right that it should, but I need to know if this is in the spec (this is for a boolean evaluation system I'm writing in XML / PERL and I need to know if for safety's sake I should put some ordering information in my children (variables), or if this is built into this spec)

Thanks for any info.

--

Gareth Harper
Engineering

Gareth.Harper@sportal.net

SPORTAL LIMITED
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