Index: trunk/src/services/XMLtoJSON.py
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/services/XMLtoJSON.py	(revision 0)
+++ trunk/src/services/XMLtoJSON.py	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+#! /usr/bin/python
+
+from xml.sax.handler import ContentHandler
+from xml.sax.saxutils import XMLGenerator
+from xml.sax.xmlreader import XMLReader
+from xml.sax import make_parser
+import simplejson as json
+
+class ArtifactHandler(ContentHandler):
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.curr = ''
+        self.parent = ''
+        self.count = 0
+        self.d = {}
+        self.currd = {}
+        self.parentd = {}
+        self.stack = []
+        self.stack2 = []
+
+    def startElement(self, name, attrs):
+        if self.count == 0:
+            self.parent = name
+            self.d[name] = [dict(attrs), '', []]
+            self.currd = self.d
+        else:
+            chld = {name: [dict(attrs), '', []]}
+            self.parent = self.stack[-1]
+            self.parentd = self.stack2[-1]
+            chldlist = (self.parentd[self.parent])[2]
+            chldlist.append(chld)
+            self.currd = chld
+
+        self.stack.append(name)
+        self.stack2.append(self.currd)
+
+        self.curr = name
+        self.count += 1
+
+    def endElement(self, name):
+        self.stack.remove(name)
+        for item in self.stack2:
+            if item.has_key(name):
+                self.cleanUp(item, name)
+                self.stack2.remove(item)
+
+    def cleanUp(self, item, name):
+        item[name] = [elem for elem in item[name] if len(elem) > 0]
+        if len(item[name]) == 1:
+            item[name] = item[name][0]
+
+    def characters(self, content):
+        content = (content.encode('utf-8')).strip()
+        if content:
+            myd = ((self.parentd[self.parent])[2])[-1]
+            currcontent = (myd[self.curr])[1]
+            (myd[self.curr])[1] = "".join((currcontent, content))
+
+def readXML():
+    handler = ArtifactHandler()
+    parser = make_parser()
+    parser.setContentHandler(handler)
+    parser.parse("../testdata/artifacts/Cartoon.xml")
+    return parser._cont_handler.d
+
+def formatReadXML():
+    return json.dumps(readXML(), sort_keys=True, indent=4)
Index: trunk/src/services/couch.py
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/services/couch.py	(revision 0)
+++ trunk/src/services/couch.py	(revision 0)
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+#! /usr/bin/python
+
+import httplib, simplejson
+from XMLtoJSON import *
+
+def prettyPrint(s):
+    """Prettyprints the json response of an HTTPResponse object"""
+    # HTTPResponse instance -> Python object -> str
+    print simplejson.dumps(simplejson.loads(s.read()), sort_keys=True, indent=4)
+
+class Couch:
+    """Basic wrapper class for operations on a couchDB"""
+    def __init__(self, host, port=5984, options=None):
+        self.host = host
+        self.port = port
+
+    def connect(self):
+        return httplib.HTTPConnection(self.host, self.port) # No close()
+
+    def getdbName(self, dbName):
+        return ''.join(['/', dbName, '/'])
+
+
+    # Database operations
+
+    def createDb(self, dbName):
+        """Creates a new database on the server"""
+        r = self.put(self.getdbName(dbName), "")
+        prettyPrint(r)
+
+    def deleteDb(self, dbName):
+        """Deletes the database on the server"""
+        r = self.delete(self.getdbName(dbName))
+        prettyPrint(r)
+
+    def listDb(self):
+        """List the databases on the server"""
+        prettyPrint(self.get('/_all_dbs'))
+
+    def infoDb(self, dbName):
+        """Returns info about the couchDB"""
+        r = self.get(self.getdbName(dbName))
+        prettyPrint(r)
+
+    # Document operations
+
+    def listDoc(self, dbName):
+        """List all documents in a given database"""
+        r = self.get(''.join(['/', dbName, '/', '_all_docs']))
+        prettyPrint(r)
+
+    def openDoc(self, dbName, docId):
+        """Open a document in a given database"""
+        r = self.get(''.join(['/', dbName, '/', docId,]))
+        prettyPrint(r)
+
+    def saveDoc(self, dbName, body, docId=None):
+        """Save/create a document to/in a given database"""
+        if docId:
+            r = self.put(''.join(['/', dbName, '/', docId]), body)
+        else:
+            r = self.post(self.getdbName(dbName), body)
+        prettyPrint(r)
+
+    def deleteDoc(self, dbName, docId):
+        # XXX Crashed if resource is non-existent; not so for DELETE on db. Bug?
+        r = self.delete(''.join(['/', dbName, '/', docId]))
+        prettyPrint(r)
+
+    # Basic http methods
+
+    def get(self, uri):
+        c = self.connect()
+        headers = {"Accept": "application/json"}
+        c.request("GET", uri, None, headers)
+        return c.getresponse()
+
+    def post(self, uri, body):
+        c = self.connect()
+        headers = {"Content-type": "application/json"}
+        c.request('POST', uri, body, headers)
+        return c.getresponse()
+
+    def put(self, uri, body):
+        c = self.connect()
+        if len(body) > 0:
+            headers = {"Content-type": "application/json"}
+            c.request("PUT", uri, body, headers)
+        else:
+            c.request("PUT", uri, body)
+        return c.getresponse()
+
+    def delete(self, uri):
+        c = self.connect()
+        c.request("DELETE", uri)
+        return c.getresponse()