Index: spongenet/trunk/spongenet/parse.py
===================================================================
--- spongenet/trunk/spongenet/parse.py (revision 369)
+++ spongenet/trunk/spongenet/parse.py (revision 370)
@@ -186,5 +186,5 @@
 
 
-class Point(object):
+class Point(dict):
     """
     A data point for a sponge sensor sample."
@@ -200,32 +200,35 @@
     >>> _data = Data(_xmldoc)
     >>> point = _data.devices[0].sensors[0].points[0]
-    >>> point.id != None
-    True
-    >>> point.descr != None
-    True
-    >>> point.type != None
-    True
-    >>> point.format != None
-    True
-    >>> point.unit != None
-    True
-    >>> point.rangemin != None
-    True
-    >>> point.rangemax != None
-    True
-    >>> point.value != None
+    >>> len(point.keys()) == 8
+    True
+    >>> point["id"] != None
+    True
+    >>> point["descr"] != None
+    True
+    >>> point["type"] != None
+    True
+    >>> point["format"] != None
+    True
+    >>> point["unit"] != None
+    True
+    >>> point["rangemin"] != None
+    True
+    >>> point["rangemax"] != None
+    True
+    >>> point["value"] != None
     True
     """
 
     def __init__(self, point):
+        super(Point, self).__init__({})
         for key, value in point.attrib.items():
             key = key.lower()
-            super(Point, self).__setattr__(key, value)
+            self[key] = value
         for elem in point.getchildren():
             tag = XMLNS_PATTERN.search(elem.tag).groups()[1].lower()
-            super(Point, self).__setattr__(tag, elem.text)
-
-
-class Sensor(object):
+            self[tag] = elem.text
+
+
+class Sensor(dict):
     """
     A collection of data points for a sponge sensor sample.
@@ -243,28 +246,31 @@
     >>> len(sensor.points)
     3
-    >>> sensor.id != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.serialno != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.prodno != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.prodname != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.descr != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.adr != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.protocolver != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.verticalposition != None
-    True
-    >>> sensor.status != None
+    >>> len(sensor.keys()) == 9
+    True
+    >>> sensor["id"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["serialno"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["prodno"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["prodname"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["descr"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["adr"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["protocolver"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["verticalposition"] != None
+    True
+    >>> sensor["status"] != None
     True
     """
 
     def __init__(self, sensor, xmlns):
+        super(Sensor, self).__init__({})
         for key, value in sensor.attrib.items():
             key = key.lower()
-            super(Sensor, self).__setattr__(key, value)
+            self[key] = value
         for elem in sensor.getchildren():
             tag = XMLNS_PATTERN.search(elem.tag).groups()[1].lower()
@@ -273,8 +279,8 @@
                                 in elem.findall(xmlns + "Point")]
             else:
-                super(Sensor, self).__setattr__(tag, elem.text)
-
-
-class Device(object):
+                self[tag] = elem.text
+
+
+class Device(dict):
     """
     Data from a collection of sponge sensors for a single time sample.
@@ -292,42 +298,45 @@
     >>> len(device.sensors)
     15
-    >>> device.id != None
-    True
-    >>> device.sessionid != None
-    True
-    >>> device.descr != None
-    True
-    >>> device.serialno != None
-    True
-    >>> device.prodno != None
-    True
-    >>> device.prodname != None
-    True
-    >>> device.devicetype != None
-    True
-    >>> device.protocolver != None
-    True
-    >>> device.time != None
-    True
-    >>> device.status != None
-    True
-    >>> device.location != None
-    True
-    >>> device.verticalposition != None
-    True
-    >>> device.owner != None
-    True
-    >>> device.recordnumber != None
-    True
-    >>> device.data_time != None
-    True
-    >>> device.data_sessionid != None
+    >>> len(device.keys())
+    16
+    >>> device["id"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["sessionid"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["descr"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["serialno"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["prodno"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["prodname"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["devicetype"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["protocolver"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["time"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["status"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["location"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["verticalposition"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["owner"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["recordnumber"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["data_time"] != None
+    True
+    >>> device["data_sessionid"] != None
     True
     """
 
     def __init__(self, device, xmlns):
+        super(Device, self).__init__({})
         for key, value in device.attrib.items():
             key = key.lower()
-            super(Device, self).__setattr__(key, value)
+            self[key] = value
         for elem in device.getchildren():
             tag = XMLNS_PATTERN.search(elem.tag).groups()[1].lower()
@@ -335,5 +344,5 @@
                 for subelem in elem.getchildren():
                     tag = XMLNS_PATTERN.search(subelem.tag).groups()[1].lower()
-                    super(Device, self).__setattr__(tag, subelem.text)
+                    self[tag] = subelem.text
             elif tag == "data":
                 for key, value in elem.attrib.items():
@@ -343,9 +352,9 @@
                     elif key == "sessionid":
                         key = "data_sessionid"
-                    super(Device, self).__setattr__(key, value)
+                    self[key] = value
                 self.sensors = [Sensor(sensor, xmlns) for sensor
                                 in elem.findall(xmlns + "SensorData")]
             else:
-                super(Device, self).__setattr__(tag, elem.text)
+                self[tag] = elem.text