--- /dev/null	Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000
+++ b/lxmlmiddleware/middleware.py	Sun Jan 24 12:00:39 2010 -0500
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+"""
+LXML middleware
+"""
+
+from lxml import etree
+
+class LXMLMiddleware(object):
+    """
+    abstract base class; inherit from and implement the manipulate method
+    """
+
+    def __init__(self, app):
+        self.app = app
+
+    ### methods dealing with HTTP
+    def __call__(self, environ, start_response):
+
+        # set up to recompose on the way out
+        if not 'lxml.recomposer' in environ:
+            environ['lxml.recomposer'] = self
+
+        # get the response
+        response = self.app(environ, start_response)
+
+        # get the DOM, if not already made
+        if not isinstance(response, etree._Element):
+            response = etree.fromstring(''.join(response))
+        
+        # manipulate the DOM
+        response = self.manipulate(environ, response)
+
+        # recompose the DOM if the last in the chain
+        if environ['lxml.recomposer'] is self:
+            response = [ etree.tostring(response) ]
+
+        # return the response
+        return response
+
+    def manipulate(self, environ, tree):
+        """manipulate the DOM; should return an etree._Element"""
+        return tree
+