diff --git a/app/src/processing/mode/android/Manifest.java b/app/src/processing/mode/android/Manifest.java
index fd7b7b648..3016ebe0b 100644
--- a/app/src/processing/mode/android/Manifest.java
+++ b/app/src/processing/mode/android/Manifest.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ package processing.mode.android;
 
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.FileNotFoundException;
-import java.io.FileReader;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 
@@ -201,7 +200,7 @@ public class Manifest {
     // load the copy from the build location and start messing with it
     XML mf = null;
     try {
-      mf = new XML(new FileReader(file));
+      mf = new XML(file);
 
       // package name, or default
       String p = mf.getString("package").trim();
@@ -241,7 +240,7 @@ public class Manifest {
     File manifestFile = getManifestFile();
     if (manifestFile.exists()) {
       try {
-        xml = new XML(new FileReader(manifestFile));
+        xml = new XML(manifestFile);
       } catch (Exception e) {
         e.printStackTrace();
         System.err.println("Problem reading AndroidManifest.xml, creating a new version");
@@ -261,7 +260,7 @@ public class Manifest {
     if (xml == null) {
       writeBlankManifest(manifestFile);
       try {
-        xml = new XML(new FileReader(manifestFile));
+        xml = new XML(manifestFile);
       } catch (FileNotFoundException e) {
         System.err.println("Could not read " + manifestFile.getAbsolutePath());
         e.printStackTrace();
diff --git a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
index 7a97eb370..59b7984e2 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/core/PApplet.java
@@ -5822,8 +5822,14 @@ public class PApplet extends Applet
    * @see PApplet#loadTable(String)
    */
   public XML loadXML(String filename) {
+    return loadXML(filename, null);
+  }
+
+
+  // version that uses 'options' though there are currently no supported options
+  public XML loadXML(String filename, String options) {
     try {
-      return new XML(this, filename);
+      return new XML(createInput(filename), options);
     } catch (Exception e) {
       e.printStackTrace();
       return null;
@@ -5831,6 +5837,31 @@ public class PApplet extends Applet
   }
 
 
+  public XML parseXML(String xmlString) {
+    return parseXML(xmlString, null);
+  }
+
+
+  public XML parseXML(String xmlString, String options) {
+    try {
+      return XML.parse(xmlString, options);
+    } catch (Exception e) {
+      e.printStackTrace();
+      return null;
+    }
+  }
+
+
+  public boolean saveXML(XML xml, String filename) {
+    return saveXML(xml, filename, null);
+  }
+
+
+  public boolean saveXML(XML xml, String filename, String options) {
+    return xml.save(saveFile(filename), options);
+  }
+
+
   public Table createTable() {
     return new Table();
   }
@@ -5869,17 +5900,19 @@ public class PApplet extends Applet
   }
 
 
-  public void saveTable(Table table, String filename) {
-    saveTable(table, filename, null);
+  public boolean saveTable(Table table, String filename) {
+    return saveTable(table, filename, null);
   }
 
 
-  public void saveTable(Table table, String filename, String options) {
+  public boolean saveTable(Table table, String filename, String options) {
     try {
       table.save(saveFile(filename), options);
+      return true;
     } catch (IOException e) {
       e.printStackTrace();
     }
+    return false;
   }
 
 
@@ -10847,6 +10880,11 @@ public class PApplet extends Applet
   }
 
 
+  public PShape loadShape(String filename, String options) {
+    return g.loadShape(filename, options);
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * @webref shape
    * @see PShape
diff --git a/core/src/processing/core/PGraphics.java b/core/src/processing/core/PGraphics.java
index 08d126e92..fae7f09ad 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/core/PGraphics.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/core/PGraphics.java
@@ -1604,6 +1604,11 @@ public class PGraphics extends PImage implements PConstants {
    * @see PApplet#createShape()
    */
   public PShape loadShape(String filename) {
+    return loadShape(filename, null);
+  }
+
+
+  public PShape loadShape(String filename, String options) {
     showMissingWarning("loadShape");
     return null;
   }
diff --git a/core/src/processing/core/PGraphicsJava2D.java b/core/src/processing/core/PGraphicsJava2D.java
index 0f3b209a8..9e28bc2b7 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/core/PGraphicsJava2D.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/core/PGraphicsJava2D.java
@@ -1380,17 +1380,23 @@ public class PGraphicsJava2D extends PGraphics /*PGraphics2D*/ {
 
   @Override
   public PShape loadShape(String filename) {
+    return loadShape(filename, null);
+  }
+
+
+  @Override
+  public PShape loadShape(String filename, String options) {
     String extension = PApplet.getExtension(filename);
 
     PShapeSVG svg = null;
 
     if (extension.equals("svg")) {
-      svg = new PShapeSVG(parent, filename);
+      svg = new PShapeSVG(parent.loadXML(filename));
 
     } else if (extension.equals("svgz")) {
       try {
         InputStream input = new GZIPInputStream(parent.createInput(filename));
-        XML xml = new XML(PApplet.createReader(input));
+        XML xml = new XML(input, options);
         svg = new PShapeSVG(xml);
       } catch (Exception e) {
         e.printStackTrace();
diff --git a/core/src/processing/core/PShapeSVG.java b/core/src/processing/core/PShapeSVG.java
index aa44d6386..74ff11fa3 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/core/PShapeSVG.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/core/PShapeSVG.java
@@ -159,14 +159,14 @@ public class PShapeSVG extends PShape {
   String fillName;  // id of another object
 
 
-  /**
-   * Initializes a new SVG Object with the given filename.
-   */
-  public PShapeSVG(PApplet parent, String filename) {
-    // this will grab the root document, starting <svg ...>
-    // the xml version and initial comments are ignored
-    this(parent.loadXML(filename));
-  }
+//  /**
+//   * Initializes a new SVG Object with the given filename.
+//   */
+//  public PShapeSVG(PApplet parent, String filename) {
+//    // this will grab the root document, starting <svg ...>
+//    // the xml version and initial comments are ignored
+//    this(parent.loadXML(filename));
+//  }
 
 
   /**
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/Table.java b/core/src/processing/data/Table.java
index 17ca02d03..c7fb90c33 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/Table.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/Table.java
@@ -119,6 +119,11 @@ public class Table {
   }
 
 
+  public Table(InputStream input) throws IOException {
+    this(input, null);
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * Read the table from a stream. Possible options include:
    * <ul>
@@ -479,7 +484,6 @@ public class Table {
   // compiler) of an inner class by the runtime.
 
   /** incomplete, do not use */
-//  public void parseInto(PApplet sketch, String fieldName) {
   public void parseInto(Object enclosingObject, String fieldName) {
     Class<?> target = null;
     Object outgoing = null;
@@ -1043,14 +1047,23 @@ public class Table {
 
   /**
    * Set the titles (and if a second column is present) the data types for
-   * this table based on a file loaded separately.
+   * this table based on a file loaded separately. This will look for the
+   * title in column 0, and the type in column 1. Better yet, specify a
+   * column named "title" and another named "type" in the dictionary table
+   * to future-proof the code.
    * @param dictionary
    */
   public void setColumnTypes(Table dictionary) {
-    setColumnTitles(dictionary.getStringColumn(0));
+    int titleCol = 0;
+    int typeCol = 1;
+    if (dictionary.hasColumnTitles()) {
+      titleCol = dictionary.getColumnIndex("title", true);
+      typeCol = dictionary.getColumnIndex("type", true);
+    }
+    setColumnTitles(dictionary.getStringColumn(titleCol));
     if (dictionary.getColumnCount() > 1) {
       for (int i = 0; i < dictionary.getRowCount(); i++) {
-        setColumnType(i, dictionary.getString(i, 1));
+        setColumnType(i, dictionary.getString(i, typeCol));
       }
     }
   }
@@ -1061,7 +1074,9 @@ public class Table {
 
   /**
    * Remove the first row from the data set, and use it as the column titles.
+   * Use loadTable("table.csv", "header") instead.
    */
+  @Deprecated
   public String[] removeTitleRow() {
     String[] titles = getStringRow(0);
     removeRow(0);
@@ -1089,6 +1104,11 @@ public class Table {
   }
 
 
+  public boolean hasColumnTitles() {
+    return columnTitles != null;
+  }
+
+
   public String[] getColumnTitles() {
     return columnTitles;
   }
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/TableODS.java b/core/src/processing/data/TableODS.java
index 676b16919..660c02ee2 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/TableODS.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/TableODS.java
@@ -43,9 +43,10 @@ public class TableODS extends Table {
    */
   protected TableODS(InputStream input, String worksheet, boolean actual) {
     try {
-      InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(input, "UTF-8");
-      BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(isr);
-      read(reader, worksheet, actual);
+//      InputStreamReader isr = new InputStreamReader(input, "UTF-8");
+//      BufferedReader reader = new BufferedReader(isr);
+//      read(reader, worksheet, actual);
+      read(input, worksheet, actual);
 
     } catch (UnsupportedEncodingException uee) {
       uee.printStackTrace();
@@ -59,8 +60,11 @@ public class TableODS extends Table {
   }
 
 
-  protected void read(BufferedReader reader, String worksheet, boolean actual) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
-    XML xml = new XML(reader);
+//  protected void read(BufferedReader reader, String worksheet, boolean actual) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+//    XML xml = new XML(reader);
+  protected void read(InputStream input, String worksheet, boolean actual) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+    XML xml = new XML(input);
+
 //    XML x = new XML(reader);
 //    PApplet.saveStrings(new File("/Users/fry/Desktop/namespacefix.xml"), new String[] { xml.toString() });
 //    PApplet.saveStrings(new File("/Users/fry/Desktop/newparser.xml"), new String[] { x.toString() });
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/XML.java b/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
index b97a73a6a..8b0316641 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
@@ -49,8 +49,8 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   /** The internal representation, a DOM node. */
   protected Node node;
 
-  /** Cached locally because it's used often. */
-  protected String name;
+//  /** Cached locally because it's used often. */
+//  protected String name;
 
   /** The parent element. */
   protected XML parent;
@@ -62,26 +62,40 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   protected XML() { }
 
 
-  /**
-   * Begin parsing XML data passed in from a PApplet. This code
-   * wraps exception handling, for more advanced exception handling,
-   * use the constructor that takes a Reader or InputStream.
-   *
-   * @throws SAXException
-   * @throws ParserConfigurationException
-   * @throws IOException
-   */
-  public XML(PApplet parent, String filename) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
-    this(parent.createReader(filename));
-  }
-
+//  /**
+//   * Begin parsing XML data passed in from a PApplet. This code
+//   * wraps exception handling, for more advanced exception handling,
+//   * use the constructor that takes a Reader or InputStream.
+//   *
+//   * @throws SAXException
+//   * @throws ParserConfigurationException
+//   * @throws IOException
+//   */
+//  public XML(PApplet parent, String filename) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+//    this(parent.createReader(filename));
+//  }
 
   public XML(File file) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
-    this(PApplet.createReader(file));
+    this(file, null);
   }
 
 
-  public XML(Reader reader) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+  public XML(File file, String options) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+    this(PApplet.createReader(file), options);
+  }
+
+
+  public XML(InputStream input) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+    this(input, null);
+  }
+
+
+  public XML(InputStream input, String options) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+    this(PApplet.createReader(input), options);
+  }
+
+
+  protected XML(Reader reader, String options) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
     DocumentBuilderFactory factory = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
 
     // Prevent 503 errors from www.w3.org
@@ -115,7 +129,8 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
 //      Document document = builder.parse(dataPath("1_alt.html"));
     Document document = builder.parse(new InputSource(reader));
     node = document.getDocumentElement();
-    name = node.getNodeName();
+//    name = node.getNodeName();
+
 //      NodeList nodeList = document.getDocumentElement().getChildNodes();
 //      for (int i = 0; i < nodeList.getLength(); i++) {
 //      }
@@ -124,27 +139,20 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
 
 
   // TODO is there a more efficient way of doing this? wow.
-  // i.e. can we use one static document object for all PNodeXML objects?
-  public XML(String name) {
-    try {
-      DocumentBuilderFactory factory = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
-      DocumentBuilder builder = factory.newDocumentBuilder();
-      Document document = builder.newDocument();
-      node = document.createElement(name);
-
-      this.name = name;
-      this.parent = null;
-
-    } catch (ParserConfigurationException e) {
-      e.printStackTrace();
-    }
+  public XML(String name) throws ParserConfigurationException {
+    DocumentBuilderFactory factory = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
+    DocumentBuilder builder = factory.newDocumentBuilder();
+    Document document = builder.newDocument();
+    node = document.createElement(name);
+//      this.name = name;
+    this.parent = null;
   }
 
 
   protected XML(XML parent, Node node) {
     this.node = node;
     this.parent = parent;
-    this.name = node.getNodeName();
+//    this.name = node.getNodeName();
   }
 
 
@@ -155,30 +163,33 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
    * @brief Converts String content to an XML object
    * @param data the content to be parsed as XML
    * @return an XML object, or null
+   * @throws SAXException
+   * @throws ParserConfigurationException
+   * @throws IOException
    * @see PApplet#loadXML(String)
    */
-  static public XML parse(String data) {
-    try {
-      return new XML(new StringReader(data));
-    } catch (Exception e) {
-      e.printStackTrace();
-      return null;
-    }
+  static public XML parse(String data) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+    return XML.parse(data, null);
   }
 
 
-  public boolean save(OutputStream output) {
+  static public XML parse(String data, String options) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
+    return new XML(new StringReader(data), null);
+  }
+
+
+  protected boolean save(OutputStream output) {
     return save(PApplet.createWriter(output));
   }
 
 
-  public boolean save(File file) {
+  public boolean save(File file, String options) {
     return save(PApplet.createWriter(file));
   }
 
 
   public boolean save(PrintWriter output) {
-    output.print(format(2));
+    output.print(toString(2));
     output.flush();
     return true;
   }
@@ -198,7 +209,7 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   /**
    * Internal function; not included in reference.
    */
-  protected Node getNode() {
+  protected Object getNative() {
     return node;
   }
 
@@ -212,7 +223,8 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
    * @return the name, or null if the element only contains #PCDATA.
    */
   public String getName() {
-    return name;
+//    return name;
+    return node.getNodeName();
   }
 
   /**
@@ -222,7 +234,7 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   public void setName(String newName) {
     Document document = node.getOwnerDocument();
     node = document.renameNode(node, null, newName);
-    name = node.getNodeName();
+//    name = node.getNodeName();
   }
 
 
@@ -450,7 +462,7 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
 
   public XML addChild(XML child) {
     Document document = node.getOwnerDocument();
-    Node newChild = document.importNode(child.getNode(), true);
+    Node newChild = document.importNode((Node) child.getNative(), true);
     return appendChild(newChild);
   }
 
@@ -476,36 +488,53 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   }
 
 
-  /** Remove whitespace nodes. */
-  public void trim() {
-////    public static boolean isWhitespace(XML xml) {
-////      if (xml.node.getNodeType() != Node.TEXT_NODE)
-////        return false;
-////      Matcher m = whitespace.matcher(xml.node.getNodeValue());
-////      return m.matches();
-////    }
-//    trim(this);
+//  /** Remove whitespace nodes. */
+//  public void trim() {
+//////    public static boolean isWhitespace(XML xml) {
+//////      if (xml.node.getNodeType() != Node.TEXT_NODE)
+//////        return false;
+//////      Matcher m = whitespace.matcher(xml.node.getNodeValue());
+//////      return m.matches();
+//////    }
+////    trim(this);
+////  }
+//
+//    checkChildren();
+//    int index = 0;
+//    for (int i = 0; i < children.length; i++) {
+//      if (i != index) {
+//        children[index] = children[i];
+//      }
+//      Node childNode = (Node) children[i].getNative();
+//      if (childNode.getNodeType() != Node.TEXT_NODE ||
+//          children[i].getContent().trim().length() > 0) {
+//        children[i].trim();
+//        index++;
+//      }
+//    }
+//    if (index != children.length) {
+//      children = (XML[]) PApplet.subset(children, 0, index);
+//    }
+//
+//    // possibility, but would have to re-parse the object
+//// helpdesk.objects.com.au/java/how-do-i-remove-whitespace-from-an-xml-document
+////    TransformerFactory factory = TransformerFactory.newInstance();
+////    Transformer transformer = factory.newTransformer(new StreamSource("strip-space.xsl"));
+////    DOMSource source = new DOMSource(document);
+////    StreamResult result = new StreamResult(System.out);
+////    transformer.transform(source, result);
+//
+////    <xsl:stylesheet version="1.0"
+////      xmlns:xsl="http://www.w3.org/1999/XSL/Transform">
+////   <xsl:output method="xml" omit-xml-declaration="yes"/>
+////     <xsl:strip-space elements="*"/>
+////     <xsl:template match="@*|node()">
+////      <xsl:copy>
+////       <xsl:apply-templates select="@*|node()"/>
+////      </xsl:copy>
+////     </xsl:template>
+////   </xsl:stylesheet>
 //  }
-//
-//
-//  protected void trim() {
-    checkChildren();
-    int index = 0;
-    for (int i = 0; i < children.length; i++) {
-      if (i != index) {
-        children[index] = children[i];
-      }
-      Node childNode = children[i].getNode();
-      if (childNode.getNodeType() != Node.TEXT_NODE ||
-          children[i].getContent().trim().length() > 0) {
-        children[i].trim();
-        index++;
-      }
-    }
-    if (index != children.length) {
-      children = (XML[]) PApplet.subset(children, 0, index);
-    }
-  }
 
 
   /**
@@ -727,7 +756,7 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   }
 
 
-  public String format(int indent) {
+  public String toString(int indent) {
     try {
       DOMSource dumSource = new DOMSource(node);
       // entities = doctype.getEntities()
@@ -777,6 +806,6 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   @Override
   /** Return the XML data as a single line, with no DOCTYPE declaration. */
   public String toString() {
-    return format(-1);
+    return toString(-1);
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/processing/opengl/PGraphics2D.java b/core/src/processing/opengl/PGraphics2D.java
index 509a6f909..83aaa8ab9 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/opengl/PGraphics2D.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/opengl/PGraphics2D.java
@@ -248,13 +248,13 @@ public class PGraphics2D extends PGraphicsOpenGL {
     PShapeSVG svg = null;
 
     if (extension.equals("svg")) {
-      svg = new PShapeSVG(pg.parent, filename);
+      svg = new PShapeSVG(pg.parent.loadXML(filename));
 
     } else if (extension.equals("svgz")) {
       try {
         InputStream input =
           new GZIPInputStream(pg.parent.createInput(filename));
-        XML xml = new XML(PApplet.createReader(input));
+        XML xml = new XML(input);
         svg = new PShapeSVG(xml);
       } catch (Exception e) {
         e.printStackTrace();
diff --git a/core/todo.txt b/core/todo.txt
index 403e8e2e1..5124324e4 100644
--- a/core/todo.txt
+++ b/core/todo.txt
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ X saveTable("filename.tsv") or saveTable("filename.txt", "tsv")
 X createTable() method in PApplet
 X removed getUniqueXxxx() and some others, pending names
 
+_ OutOfMemory in image()
+_   http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=1353
+
 _ shader syntax (Andres request)
 _   might also need a define inside the shader to control what type it is
 
@@ -98,6 +101,8 @@ _   dictionary support
 _   join tables together (static is kinda gross)
 
 shape
+_ major surgery to put loadShape() back into PApplet/PGraphics
+_   then have the OpenGL or Java2D versions as cached objects
 _ PShape s = createShape(); / s.beginShape(QUADS);
 _ createShape() not yet implemented for Java2D
 _   http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=1400
@@ -126,14 +131,25 @@ _ loadShape() needs to live in PApplet
 _ make PShapeOpenGL a cache object
 
 xml library
+X removed 'name' field to avoid possibility of random errors
+X confirmed that DOM "correct" version includes the text nodes
+X new XML(name) also throws an ex, use createXML() or appendChild("name")
+X remove XML.parse() from the reference (it throws an exception)
+X   use parseXML() instead
+o do we need a trim() method for XML?
+o   use XSL transform to strip whitespace
+o   helpdesk.objects.com.au/java/how-do-i-remove-whitespace-from-an-xml-document
+X   messy, just not great
+o isWhitespace() method for nodes? (that's the capitalization used in Character)
+X   doesn't help much
+o get back to PhiLho once finished
+
 _ beginning slash in getChild() threw an NPE
-_ do we need a trim() method for XML?
-_ isWhitespace() method for nodes? (that's the capitalization used in Character)
 _ XML toString(0) means no indents or newlines
 _   but no way to remove indents and still have newlines... 
 _   toString(-1)? a new method?
 _ format(2), format(4)... format() -> default to 2 params
-_ get back to PhiLho once finished
+
 _ look into json and how it would work wrt XML
 _   1) we bring back getFloatAttribute() et al., 
 _      and make getFloat() be equivalent to parseFloat(xml.getContent())
@@ -214,9 +230,6 @@ _   http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=1407
 _ add "CGAffineTransformInvert: singular matrix" problem to the Wiki
 _   http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=1363
 
-_ OutOfMemory in image()
-_   http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=1353
-
 api to be fixed/removed
 _ remove PImage.delete() and friends from PImage, Movie, etc.
 _ delete()/dispose() being used in the movie