>Has anyone written a utility to create an XML string from a dbf file, and / or vice versa? Am I the first to need this?

Eric,

If you went to DevCon, check out Alan Grivers COM - 03 notes and samples on packaging a parameter object with XML. This has the classes and the methods to perhaps what you are wanting to do.

I also thing on Ken Levys web site he has on his web site at www.classx.com the following...

XMLVFP - (October 4, 1998) (Size: 2K)
Utilities to convert XML strings and objects to and from VFP cursors and tables.
Requires VFP 6.0 or later.

BOb