3 files changed, 20 insertions, 1 deletions
diff --git a/src/library/scala/xml/Elem.scala b/src/library/scala/xml/Elem.scala
index 027a1120b0..37c2f3e6a4 100644
--- a/src/library/scala/xml/Elem.scala
+++ b/src/library/scala/xml/Elem.scala
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ object Elem {
  *  @param child the children of this node
  */
 // "val" is redundant for non-overriding arguments
-/*case*/ class Elem(override val prefix: String,
+@serializable class Elem(override val prefix: String,
                 val label: String,
                 override val attributes: MetaData,
                 override val scope: NamespaceBinding,
diff --git a/src/library/scala/xml/Utility.scala b/src/library/scala/xml/Utility.scala
index c0be4bc280..c0b28b89ae 100644
--- a/src/library/scala/xml/Utility.scala
+++ b/src/library/scala/xml/Utility.scala
@@ -40,6 +40,20 @@ object Utility extends AnyRef with parsing.TokenTests {
     case _ =>
       x
   }
+  /** returns a sorted attribute list */
+  def sort(md: MetaData): MetaData = if((md eq Null) || (md.next eq Null)) md else {
+    val key = md.key
+    val smaller = sort(md.filter { m => m.key < key })
+    val greater = sort(md.filter { m => m.key > key })
+    smaller.append( Null ).append(md.copy ( greater ))
+  }
+
+  /** returns the node with its attribute list sorted alphabetically (prefixes are ignored) */
+  def sort(n:Node): Node = n match {
+	  case Elem(pre,lab,md,scp,child@_*) =>
+		  Elem(pre,lab,sort(md),scp, (child map sort):_*)
+	  case _ => n
+  }
 
   /** @deprecated a string might also be Atom(s) - define your own conversion
    */
diff --git a/test/files/jvm/unittest_xml.scala b/test/files/jvm/unittest_xml.scala
index a6032e257c..c302ef1e24 100644
--- a/test/files/jvm/unittest_xml.scala
+++ b/test/files/jvm/unittest_xml.scala
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@ object Test {
     val z1 = z.toString
 
     assertEquals("apos unescaped", "<bar>''</bar>", z1)
+
+	val q = xml.Utility.sort(<a g='3' j='2' oo='2' a='2'/>)
+	assertEquals("sort attrib"+xml.Utility.sort(q.attributes).toString, " a=\"2\" g=\"3\" j=\"2\" oo=\"2\"", xml.Utility.sort(q.attributes).toString)
+	 val pp = new xml.PrettyPrinter(80,5)
+	assertEquals("pretty print sorted attrib:"+pp.format(q), "<a a=\"2\" g=\"3\" j=\"2\" oo=\"2\"></a>", pp.format(q))
   }
 
   def main(args:Array[String]) = {