# open intermediate file for pass of XML file
open (INTFILEout, '>', $intfile) or
    die ("Cannot open file $intfile") unless -f $intfile;

# parse thru XML file into intermediate file
my $parser = new XML::Parser;
$parser->setHandlers(   Start => \&startElement,
                          End => \&endElement,
                         Char => \&characterData,
                      Default => \&default);
$parser->parsefile($xmlfile);

# close intermediate file from first pass of XML file
close INTFILEout;

### is anything in INFILEout at this point? If so, how 
### would the parser know how to put it there?
### stop the code here and cat or type the contents of INFILEout