The aim is to typeset a TeX-command given in an attribute on an xml node. Example ... \xmlatt{#1}{style} ... where the node has The problem is that this produces the macrotext \bf and does not execute the \bf. I guess that the catcoderegime is not that of TeX here. With what (magical) incantation to do this? Nb. I know that here I could have coded 'bf" and called with \csname..\endcsname, but this is but a simple example and would not work for '\it\bf', etc. Hans van der Meer