The following is a part of the php code(which i call through ajax from javascript) to parse a simple xml document;
//---------------
$xml_handle=new DOMDocument();
$xml_handle->load("cmtyName_avail.xml");

$root=$xml_handle->getElementsByTagName("result");

if( strcasecmp($cmty_name_already_exists,"yes")==0 ){
    $msg=$root->childNodes->items[0]->firstChild->nodeValue;
    //$msg=$root->childNodes->items[0]->firstChild->text;
    echo $msg;
}
else{
    $msg=$root->childNodes->items[1]->firstChild->nodeValue;
    //$msg=$root->childNodes->items[1]->firstChild->text;
    echo $msg;
}
//----------------

the errors i come across are;
cannot instantiate non-existent class:domdocument in <filepath>.
followed by;
Unspecified error
code:0
url:<the .php file where i have the ajax function>.

for reference here is the xml document;
//----------------------
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<result>
<msg>
There is already a community in the same name(from xml doc)
</msg>

<msg>
Chosen community name available.Fill other details(from xml doc)
</msg>
</result>
//-------------

for reference here is the javascript/ajax function i use to call the php code;
//------------------
function check_cmtyName(){
var cmtyName=document.getElementById("id_name").value;

var httpRequest;

        if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari, ...
            httpRequest = new XMLHttpRequest();
            if (httpRequest.overrideMimeType) {
                httpRequest.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
                // See note below about this line
            }
        }
        else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
            try {
                httpRequest = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
            }
            catch (e) {
                try {
                    httpRequest = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
                }
                catch (e) {}//try
            }//try
        }// if (window.XMLHttpRequest)

        if (!httpRequest) {
            alert('Giving up :( Cannot create an XMLHTTP instance');
            return false;
        }// if (!httpRequest)

        httpRequest.onreadystatechange = function() { alertContents(httpRequest); };
        var get_url="check_cmty_name_avail.php?cmty_name="+cmt yName;
        httpRequest.open('GET', get_url, true);
        httpRequest.send(null);
// httpRequest.open('POST', url, true);
// httpRequest.send(post_arg);
    
     httpRequest.setRequestHeader('Content-Type','application/x-www-form-urlencoded');
        httpRequest.setRequestHeader('Content-Type','text/xml');
}//function check_cmtyName()

function alertContents(httpRequest) {
     if (httpRequest.readyState == 4) {
         if (httpRequest.status == 200) {
            alert(httpRequest.responseText);
            //document.getElementById('id_msg_cmtyName').innerHT ML=httpRequest.responsetext;
         }
         else {
             alert('There was a problem with the request.');
         }// if (httpRequest.status == 200)
     }// if (httpRequest.readyState == 4)
}// function alertContents(httpRequest)
//------------------


regards,
caught.