diff --git a/pisi/specfile.py b/pisi/specfile.py
index f33972cd..4ba8b0bf 100644
--- a/pisi/specfile.py
+++ b/pisi/specfile.py
@@ -21,13 +21,17 @@
 from os.path import basename
 
 # pisi modules
-from xmlext import *
-from xmlfile import XmlFile
-from ui import ui
-from dependency import DepInfo
-from util import Checks
+from pisi.xmlext import *
+import pisi.xmlfile as xmlfile
+from pisi.xmlfile import XmlFile
+from pisi.ui import ui
+from pisi.dependency import DepInfo
+from pisi.util import Checks
 
 
+#class Packager:
+#    __metaclass__ = xmlfile.autoxml
+
 class PackagerInfo:
     def __init__(self, node = None):
         if node:
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ class PackagerInfo:
         return err.list
 
     def __str__(self):
-        s = " ".join(self.name, self.email)
+        s = "%s <%s>" % (self.name, self.email)
         return s
 
 class AdditionalFileInfo:
diff --git a/pisi/xmlfile.py b/pisi/xmlfile.py
index 94feaac0..fa0ee2a8 100644
--- a/pisi/xmlfile.py
+++ b/pisi/xmlfile.py
@@ -28,6 +28,55 @@ import codecs
 
 from xmlext import *
 
+import pisi
+
+class Error(pisi.Error):
+    pass
+
+import types
+
+mandatory, optional = range(2)
+
+class autoxml(type):
+
+    def __init__(cls, name, bases, dict):
+
+        # add XmlFile as one of the superclasses
+        bases = list(bases)
+        if not XmlFile in bases:
+            bases.append(XmlFile)
+
+        # standard initialization
+        super(autoxml, cls).__init__(name, bases, dict)
+
+        # initialize class attribute __xml_tags
+        setattr(cls, '__xml_tags', [])
+
+        # find variables that start with x_
+        for var in dict:
+            if var.startswith('t_'):
+                print 'xml tag', var
+                autoxml.gen_tag(cls, var[2:])
+
+    def gen_tag(cls, tag):
+        # generate readers and writers for the tag
+        val = getattr(cls, 't_' + tag)
+        tag_type = val[0]
+        if type(tag_type) == type(type):
+            if val[0] == types.IntType:
+                autoxml.gen_int_tag(cls, tag, val)
+    #gen_tag = staticmethod(gen_tag)
+
+    def mixed_case(cls, identifier):
+        identifier_p = identifier[0].lower() + identifier[1:]
+        return identifier_p
+
+    def gen_int_tag(cls, tag, val):
+        print tag, val
+        name = cls.mixed_case(tag)
+        def read_int(self):
+            self.name = getNodeText(getNode(node, tag))
+        setattr(cls, 'decode' + tag, read_int)
 
 class XmlFile(object):
     """A class for retrieving information from an XML file"""
diff --git a/tests/run.py b/tests/run.py
index 6bc1f864..229da31e 100755
--- a/tests/run.py
+++ b/tests/run.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ runTestSuite = lambda(x): unittest.TextTestRunner(verbosity=2).run(x)
 def run_all():
 
     import utiltests
+    import xmlfile
     import specfiletests
     import metadatatests
     import constantstests
@@ -37,7 +38,7 @@ def run_all():
 
     alltests = unittest.TestSuite((
         utiltests.suite, 
-        specfiletests.suite,
+        xmlfiletests.suite,
         specfiletests.suite,
         metadatatests.suite,
         constantstests.suite,
diff --git a/tests/specfiletests.py b/tests/specfiletests.py
index 5b233df2..58d644d3 100644
--- a/tests/specfiletests.py
+++ b/tests/specfiletests.py
@@ -76,4 +76,5 @@ class SpecFileTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.spec.read("tests/popt/pspec.xml")
         self.spec.write(os.path.join(config.tmp_dir(), 'popt-copy.pspec.xml'))
 
+
 suite = unittest.makeSuite(SpecFileTestCase)
diff --git a/tests/xmlfiletests.py b/tests/xmlfiletests.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..db0e15bf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/xmlfiletests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2005, TUBITAK/UEKAE
+#
+# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+# the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free
+# Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option)
+# any later version.
+#
+# Please read the COPYING file.
+#
+
+import unittest
+import os
+
+from pisi import xmlfile
+from pisi.config import config
+import pisi.util as util
+import types
+
+class XmlFileTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
+    def setUp(self):
+        pass
+    
+    def testMetaClass(self):
+        class A:
+            __metaclass__ = xmlfile.autoxml
+            t_Number = [types.IntType, xmlfile.mandatory]
+
+suite = unittest.makeSuite(XmlFileTestCase)