I have an xml file I'm trying to parse using HXT. This is the code (for some reason the list seems to be rejecting the XML example): data Thing = Thing {first :: String, second :: String} getThings = atTag "thing" >>> proc x -> do first <- text <<< atTag "first" -< x second <- text <<< atTag "second" -< x returnA -< Thing {first = first,second = second} atTag tag = deep (isElem >>> hasName tag) text = getChildren >>> getText parseThings str = runX (readString [withValidate no] str >>> getThings) The problem is that sometimes one of the tags is empty. I'd like the code to return something like Thing {first="val",second=""} but instead the entire entry is skipped. Can someone explain to me what I need to do to get a null or empty string value inserted instead? Ian