<script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">
     var http_request = false;
     function makeRequest(url, parameters) {
        http_request = false;
        if (window.XMLHttpRequest) { // Mozilla, Safari,...
           http_request = new XMLHttpRequest();
           if (http_request.overrideMimeType) {
              http_request.overrideMimeType('text/xml');
           }
        } else if (window.ActiveXObject) { // IE
           try {
              http_request = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP");
           } catch (e) {
              try {
                 http_request = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP");
              } catch (e) {}
           }
        }
        if (!http_request) {
           alert('Cannot create XMLHTTP instance');
           return false;
        }
        http_request.onreadystatechange = alertContents;
        http_request.open('GET', url + parameters, true);
        http_request.send(null);
     }
  
     function alertContents() {
        if (http_request.readyState == 4) {
           if (http_request.status == 200) {
  
              var xmldoc = http_request.responseXML;
              var root = xmldoc.getElementsByTagName('root').item(0);
              
              for (var iNode = 0; iNode < root.childNodes.length; iNode++) {
                 var node = root.childNodes.item(iNode);
                 for (i = 0; i < node.childNodes.length; i++) {
                    var sibl = node.childNodes.item(i);
                    var len = parseInt(sibl.childNodes.length / 2);
                    var arr = new Array(len);
                    var cnt = 0;
                    for (x = 0; x < sibl.childNodes.length; x++) {
                       var sibl2 = sibl.childNodes.item(x);
                       var sibl3;
                       if (sibl2.childNodes.length > 0) {
                          sibl3 = sibl2.childNodes.item(0);
                          arr[cnt] = sibl3.data;   
                          cnt++;
                       }
                    }
                    addrow("mytable", arr);
                 }
              }
           } else {
              alert('There was a problem with the request.');
           }
        }
     }
     function do_xml() {
        makeRequest('xml.php', '?test=2');
     }
     function addrow(tablename, arr) {
     var tbl = document.getElementById(tablename);
     var lastRow = tbl.rows.length;
     var row = tbl.insertRow(lastRow);
        for (r = 0; r < arr.length; r++) {   
           var cell = row.insertCell(r);
           cell.innerHTML = arr[r];
        }
     }
  
  </script>
  
  <input type="button" name="button" value="GET XML" 
     onclick="javascript:do_xml();">
  
  <br><br>
  Table filled with data requested from the server:<br>
  <table border="1" id="mytable">
  </table>