This recursive Python routine parses an XML file to a JSON file, with the added requirement that the XML can have multiple equal tags that become a list (array). See example in listing below.

gistfile1.txt

# example XML:
# <maximum-temperatures>
#	<temperature year="2012" units="C">37</temperature>
#	<temperature year="2013" units="C">38</temperature>
# </maximum-temperatures>
#
# would ouput:
#
# "maximum-temperatures": {
#	"temperature": [
#		{
#			"year": "2012",
#			"units": "C",
#			"value": "37"
#		},
#		{
#			"year": "2013",
#			"units": "C",
#			"value": "38"
#		}
#	]
# }

def createInnerDictionary(element):
	# example: <myTag name="foo" zone="bar">myText</myTag>
	# child.attrib returns a dictionary of key/values that "describe the element": {"name": "foo", "zone": "bar"}
	# child.tag is the name of the element: "myTag"
	# child.text is the value of the element: "myText"

	# start with the attributes of the main element (could be empty, = {})
	out_dict = element.attrib
	# if one exists, add the value of the main element here
	if element.text and (len(element.text.strip()) > 0):
		out_dict['value'] = element.text.strip()

	# for this element, what are the children (and attributes)
	for child in element:
		addToArray = False
		# we need to know if the child is already in the dictionary
		if child.tag in out_dict:
			addToArray = True
			# we need to ensure the dictionary element is a list
			if not isinstance(out_dict[child.tag], list):
				# we need to make it an array
				theElement = out_dict[child.tag]
				out_dict.pop(child.tag, None)
				out_dict[child.tag] = [theElement]

		# check to see if the child has children:
		if (len(child) == 0):
			# the child has no children
			if (len(child.attrib) > 0):
				elementToAdd = child.attrib
				if child.text and (len(child.text.strip()) > 0):
					elementToAdd['value'] = child.text.strip()
				else:
					elementToAdd = child.text
		else:
			# the child does have children
			elementToAdd = createInnerDictionary(child)
	
		# add to either list or dictionary
		if addToArray:
			theList = out_dict[child.tag]
			out_dict.pop(child.tag, None)
			theList.append(elementToAdd)
			out_dict[child.tag] = theList
		else:
			out_dict[child.tag] = elementToAdd

	return out_dict

# our 'main'
import json
try:
        import xml.etree.cElementTree as etree
except ImportError:
        import xml.etree.ElementTree as etree

# here we assume input file is local
tree = etree.parse('myInputFile.xml')
root = tree.getroot()

# create a dictionary from the XML file
my_dict = createInnerDictionary(root)
print json.dumps(my_dict, sort_keys=True, indent=4)
# done