> '&' into HTML entities of some kind.  This renders the XML record invisible
> to the XML parser that is handling the response.  Subsequent processing can
> turn the entities back into characters and the XML record can then be turned
> over to an XML parser.  This string representation can save considerable
> wasted parsing during the message processing.

Not only that, but a not well formed XML record would break the entire
message if it's embedded, and the SOAP toolkit layer will just complain
that what it got back is garbage.
Whereas if the record is packed as a string the subsequent parsing will
tell you which record is busted and how.

Good catch Ralph.

Rob

       ,'/:.          Dr Robert Sanderson ([log in to unmask])
     ,'-/::::.        http://www.o-r-g.org/~azaroth/
   ,'--/::(@)::.      Special Collections and Archives, extension 3142
,'---/::::::::::.    University of Liverpool
____/:::::::::::::.
I L L U M I N A T I  L5R Shop: http://www.cardsnotwords.com/