module MultiXml::Parsers::Rexml

def collapse(element)

The document element to be collapsed.
element::

Actually converts an XML document element into a data structure. 
def collapse(element)
  hash = get_attributes(element)
  if element.has_elements?
    element.each_element {|child| merge_element!(hash, child) }
    merge_texts!(hash, element) unless empty_content?(element)
    hash
  else
    merge_texts!(hash, element)
  end
end