diff --git a/android/core/src/processing/data/XML.java b/android/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
index 14556c8e4..e20921dc3 100644
--- a/android/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
+++ b/android/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ import processing.core.PApplet;
  *
  * @webref data:composite
  * @see PApplet#loadXML(String)
+ * @see PApplet#parseXML(String)
+ * @see PApplet#saveXML(XML, String)
  */
 public class XML implements Serializable {
 
@@ -75,16 +77,26 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
 //    this(parent.createReader(filename));
 //  }
 
+
+  /**
+   * @param file description TBD
+   */
   public XML(File file) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
     this(file, null);
   }
 
 
+  /**
+   * @param options description TBD
+   */
   public XML(File file, String options) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
     this(PApplet.createReader(file), options);
   }
 
 
+  /**
+   * @param input description TBD
+   */
   public XML(InputStream input) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException {
     this(input, null);
   }
@@ -138,6 +150,9 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   }
 
 
+  /**
+   * @param name description TBD
+   */
   // TODO is there a more efficient way of doing this? wow.
   public XML(String name) throws ParserConfigurationException {
     DocumentBuilderFactory factory = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance();
@@ -749,6 +764,58 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   }
 
 
+  public int getIntContent() {
+    return getIntContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public int getIntContent(int defaultValue) {
+    return PApplet.parseInt(node.getTextContent(), defaultValue);
+  }
+
+
+  public float getFloatContent() {
+    return getFloatContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public float getFloatContent(float defaultValue) {
+    return PApplet.parseFloat(node.getTextContent(), defaultValue);
+  }
+
+
+  public long getLongContent() {
+    return getLongContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public long getLongContent(long defaultValue) {
+    String c = node.getTextContent();
+    if (c != null) {
+      try {
+        return Long.parseLong(c);
+      } catch (NumberFormatException nfe) { }
+    }
+    return defaultValue;
+  }
+
+
+  public double getDoubleContent() {
+    return getDoubleContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public double getDoubleContent(double defaultValue) {
+    String c = node.getTextContent();
+    if (c != null) {
+      try {
+        return Double.parseDouble(c);
+      } catch (NumberFormatException nfe) { }
+    }
+    return defaultValue;
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * @webref xml:method
    * @brief Sets the content of an element
@@ -758,6 +825,26 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   }
 
 
+  public void setIntContent(int value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
+  public void setFloatContent(float value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
+  public void setLongContent(long value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
+  public void setDoubleContent(double value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * Format this XML data as a String.
    *
diff --git a/core/src/processing/data/XML.java b/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
index 572c71065..71711e8b5 100644
--- a/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
+++ b/core/src/processing/data/XML.java
@@ -765,6 +765,58 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   }
 
 
+  public int getIntContent() {
+    return getIntContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public int getIntContent(int defaultValue) {
+    return PApplet.parseInt(node.getTextContent(), defaultValue);
+  }
+
+
+  public float getFloatContent() {
+    return getFloatContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public float getFloatContent(float defaultValue) {
+    return PApplet.parseFloat(node.getTextContent(), defaultValue);
+  }
+
+
+  public long getLongContent() {
+    return getLongContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public long getLongContent(long defaultValue) {
+    String c = node.getTextContent();
+    if (c != null) {
+      try {
+        return Long.parseLong(c);
+      } catch (NumberFormatException nfe) { }
+    }
+    return defaultValue;
+  }
+
+
+  public double getDoubleContent() {
+    return getDoubleContent(0);
+  }
+
+
+  public double getDoubleContent(double defaultValue) {
+    String c = node.getTextContent();
+    if (c != null) {
+      try {
+        return Double.parseDouble(c);
+      } catch (NumberFormatException nfe) { }
+    }
+    return defaultValue;
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * @webref xml:method
    * @brief Sets the content of an element
@@ -774,6 +826,26 @@ public class XML implements Serializable {
   }
 
 
+  public void setIntContent(int value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
+  public void setFloatContent(float value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
+  public void setLongContent(long value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
+  public void setDoubleContent(double value) {
+    setContent(String.valueOf(value));
+  }
+
+
   /**
    * Format this XML data as a String.
    *
diff --git a/core/todo.txt b/core/todo.txt
index 829d67c39..890cf3e03 100644
--- a/core/todo.txt
+++ b/core/todo.txt
@@ -6,14 +6,16 @@ X   https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1682
 A image caches not being properly disposed (weak references broken?)
 X   http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=1353
 A   https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1391
+X implement content specifiers
+X   getIntContent()
+X   getFloatContent()
+X   getContent() or getStringContent()?
 
 _ tint() with JAVA2D does not automatically refresh (with possible fix)
 _   https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1730
 
-_ implement content specifiers
-getIntContent()
-getFloatContent()
-getContent() or getStringContent()?
+_ table writing twice when .csv is added 
+_   https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1734
 
 finish json support
 _ https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1660
diff --git a/todo.txt b/todo.txt
index 5713d3785..e846ab225 100644
--- a/todo.txt
+++ b/todo.txt
@@ -8,10 +8,7 @@ X incorporate JDI changes from Manindra
 X fix autoformat to indent like the p5 book/examples
 X   http://code.google.com/p/processing/issues/detail?id=325
 X   https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/364
-X fix problem with retina checking on Java 7
-
-_ table writing twice when .csv is added 
-_   https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1734
+X fix NPE problem with retina checking on Java 7
 
 _ / breaks syntax highlighting
 _   https://github.com/processing/processing/issues/1681