FYI: Using python 2.7 on ubuntu 10.04. I have acquainted myself with the parsing of XML data using an input file as test data. Now I need to make a request the feed itself, and capture that field as data. I need to do the following: 1)Programmatically log into a site with user and password. 2)Make a GET request to a site under the same domain. Since I have used urllib2 in the past, >From http://docs.python.org/library/urllib2.html I am offering a modification of the example under the heading: """ Use of Basic HTTP Authentication """ import urllib2 # Create an OpenerDirector with support for Basic HTTP Authentication... auth_handler = urllib2.HTTPBasicAuthHandler() auth_handler.add_password(realm=None, uri='http://retsgw.flexmls.com:80/rets2_0/Login', user='******', passwd='******') opener = urllib2.build_opener(auth_handler) # ...and install it globally so it can be used with urlopen. urllib2.install_opener(opener) urllib2.urlopen('http://retsgw.flexmls.com/rets2_0/GetMetadata?Type=METADATA-TABLE&ID=Property:A&Format=STANDARD-XML') Am I at the correct starting point? If so, I can take it from there If not, Can someone recommend a better approach? thanks -- Tim tim at johnsons-web dot com or akwebsoft dot com http://www.akwebsoft.com