diff --git a/checkin_notes b/checkin_notes
index 836b906bb4..0a8689c0fa 100644
--- a/checkin_notes
+++ b/checkin_notes
@@ -6730,3 +6730,16 @@ David  3 Oct 2011
 
     html/user/
         profile_menu.php
+
+David  3 Oct 2011
+    - lib: move XML parse test program to its own file.
+
+    Note: XML_PARSER::parse_str() doesn't currently work right
+        for something like <foo><a>xx</a></foo>.
+        It should return "<a>xx</a>".
+        TODO.
+
+    lib/
+        parse.cpp,h
+        parse_test.cpp (new)
+        Makefile.am
diff --git a/lib/Makefile.am b/lib/Makefile.am
index 24907f54a8..a7989d331c 100644
--- a/lib/Makefile.am
+++ b/lib/Makefile.am
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ bin_PROGRAMS =
 # Stuff needed for server builds goes here.
 if ENABLE_SERVER
 
-bin_PROGRAMS += crypt_prog
+bin_PROGRAMS += crypt_prog parse_test
 
 endif
 # end of "if ENABLE_SERVER"
@@ -221,4 +221,6 @@ msg_test_LDADD = $(LIBBOINC)
 crypt_prog_SOURCES = crypt_prog.cpp 
 crypt_prog_CXXFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
 crypt_prog_LDADD = $(LIBBOINC_CRYPT_STATIC) $(LIBBOINC) $(SSL_LIBS) 
-
+parse_test_SOURCES = parse_test.cpp 
+parse_test_CXXFLAGS = $(PTHREAD_CFLAGS)
+parse_test_LDADD = $(LIBBOINC)
diff --git a/lib/parse.cpp b/lib/parse.cpp
index 5c85a32a6b..45ed5a1185 100644
--- a/lib/parse.cpp
+++ b/lib/parse.cpp
@@ -649,7 +649,9 @@ int XML_PARSER::get_aux(char* buf, int len, char* attr_buf, int attr_len) {
     }
 }
 
-bool XML_PARSER::get(char* buf, int len, bool& _is_tag, char* attr_buf, int attr_len) {
+bool XML_PARSER::get(
+    char* buf, int len, bool& _is_tag, char* attr_buf, int attr_len
+) {
     switch (get_aux(buf, len, attr_buf, attr_len)) {
     case XML_PARSE_EOF: return true;
     case XML_PARSE_TAG:
@@ -1006,66 +1008,3 @@ int XML_PARSER::copy_element(string& out) {
     out += end_tag;
     return 0;
 }
-
-// sample use is shown below
-
-#if 0
-void parse(FILE* f) {
-    bool flag;
-    MIOFILE mf;
-    XML_PARSER xp(&mf);
-    char name[256];
-    int val;
-    double x;
-
-    mf.init_file(f);
-    if (!xp.parse_start("blah")) {
-        printf("missing start tag\n");
-        return;
-    }
-    while (!xp.get_tag()) {
-        if (!xp.is_tag) {
-            printf("unexpected text: %s\n", tag);
-            continue;
-        }
-        if (xp.match_tag("/blah")) {
-            printf("success\n");
-            return;
-        } else if (xp.parse_str("str", name, sizeof(name))) {
-            printf("got str: %s\n", name);
-        } else if (xp.parse_int("int", val)) {
-            printf("got int: %d\n", val);
-        } else if (xp.parse_double("double", x)) {
-            printf("got double: %f\n", x);
-        } else if (xp.parse_bool("bool", flag)) {
-            printf("got bool: %d\n", flag);
-        } else {
-            printf("unparsed tag: %s\n", xp.parsed_tag);
-            xp.skip_unexpected(true, "xml test");
-        }
-    }
-    printf("unexpected EOF\n");
-}
-
-int main() {
-    FILE* f = fopen("foo.xml", "r");
-    parse(f);
-}
-
-... and run it against, e.g.:
-
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
-<blah>
-    <x>
-    asdlfkj
-      <x> fj</x>
-    </x>
-    <str>blah</str>
-    <int>  6
-    </int>
-    <double>6.555</double>
-    <bool>0</bool>
-</blah>
-
-#endif
-
diff --git a/lib/parse.h b/lib/parse.h
index 85703600f6..b7b1442b7e 100644
--- a/lib/parse.h
+++ b/lib/parse.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 #include "str_util.h"
 #include "cl_boinc.h"
 
+// see parse_test.cpp for example usage of XML_PARSER
+
 class XML_PARSER {
     bool scan_nonws(int&);
     int scan_comment();
diff --git a/lib/parse_test.cpp b/lib/parse_test.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..18146c668f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/parse_test.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+// test program for XML parser
+
+#include <stdio.h>
+
+#include "parse.h"
+
+void parse(FILE* f) {
+    bool flag;
+    MIOFILE mf;
+    XML_PARSER xp(&mf);
+    char name[256];
+    int val;
+    double x;
+
+    mf.init_file(f);
+    if (!xp.parse_start("blah")) {
+        printf("missing start tag\n");
+        return;
+    }
+    while (!xp.get_tag()) {
+        if (!xp.is_tag) {
+            printf("unexpected text: %s\n", xp.parsed_tag);
+            continue;
+        }
+        if (xp.match_tag("/blah")) {
+            printf("success\n");
+            return;
+        } else if (xp.parse_str("str", name, sizeof(name))) {
+            printf("got str: %s\n", name);
+        } else if (xp.parse_int("int", val)) {
+            printf("got int: %d\n", val);
+        } else if (xp.parse_double("double", x)) {
+            printf("got double: %f\n", x);
+        } else if (xp.parse_bool("bool", flag)) {
+            printf("got bool: %d\n", flag);
+        } else {
+            printf("unparsed tag: %s\n", xp.parsed_tag);
+            xp.skip_unexpected(true, "xml test");
+        }
+    }
+    printf("unexpected EOF\n");
+}
+
+int main() {
+    FILE* f = fopen("foo.xml", "r");
+    parse(f);
+}
+
+/* try it with something like:
+
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1" ?>
+<blah>
+    <x>
+    asdlfkj
+      <x> fj</x>
+    </x>
+    <str>blah</str>
+    <int>  6
+    </int>
+    <double>6.555</double>
+    <bool>0</bool>
+</blah>
+
+*/