diff --git a/Cantera/src/base/xml.cpp b/Cantera/src/base/xml.cpp
index 24db7a7cb..9596ee2dc 100755
--- a/Cantera/src/base/xml.cpp
+++ b/Cantera/src/base/xml.cpp
@@ -380,6 +380,11 @@ namespace Cantera {
         m_childindex.erase(node->name());
     }
 
+    std::string XML_Node::id() const {
+      if (hasAttrib("id")) return attrib("id");
+      return std::string("");
+    }
+
     /**
      * This routine carries out a search for an XML node based
      * on both the xml element name and the attribute ID.
@@ -467,6 +472,19 @@ namespace Cantera {
         return 0;
     }
 
+    const XML_Node* XML_Node::findByName(const string& nm) const {
+        if (name() == nm) {
+            return this;
+        }
+        const XML_Node* r = 0;
+        int n = nChildren();
+        for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
+            r = m_children[i]->findByName(nm);
+            if (r != 0) return r;
+        }
+        return 0;
+    }
+
     /**
      *  addChild(string name, string value):
      *    
diff --git a/Cantera/src/base/xml.h b/Cantera/src/base/xml.h
index 11dea6318..5440d4e79 100755
--- a/Cantera/src/base/xml.h
+++ b/Cantera/src/base/xml.h
@@ -61,13 +61,13 @@ namespace Cantera {
     class XML_Node {
     public:
 
-        XML_Node(std::string nm = "--", XML_Node* p = 0, int n = 0);
+      XML_Node(std::string nm = "--", XML_Node* p = 0, int n = 0);
    
       XML_Node(const XML_Node &right);
       XML_Node& operator=(const XML_Node &right);
 
    
-        virtual ~XML_Node();
+      virtual ~XML_Node();
         void addComment(std::string comment);
         XML_Node& addChild(XML_Node& node);
         XML_Node& addChild(std::string name);
@@ -142,11 +142,15 @@ namespace Cantera {
        * The name is the XML node is the XML node name
        */
       std::string name() const { return m_name; }
-        std::string id() const {
-            if (hasAttrib("id")) return attrib("id");
-            else return "";
-        }
-        int number() const { return m_n; }
+
+      //! Return the id attribute, if present
+      /*!
+       * Returns the id attribute if present. If not
+       * it return the empty string
+       */
+      std::string id() const;
+
+      int number() const { return m_n; }
 
         XML_Node& child(int n) const { return *m_children[n]; }
         std::vector<XML_Node*>& children()  { return m_children; }
@@ -175,6 +179,7 @@ namespace Cantera {
 
         XML_Node* findID(const std::string& id, int depth=100) const;
         XML_Node* findByAttr(const std::string& attr, const std::string& val);
+        const XML_Node* findByName(const std::string& nm) const;
         XML_Node* findByName(const std::string& nm);
         void getChildren(std::string name, std::vector<XML_Node*>& children) const;
         XML_Node& child(std::string loc) const;