<code lang="JavaScript">
/* -- Function to "handle" the response -- */
function myHandler() {
  /* -- Was the request successful? -- */
  if (this.readyState == 4 && this.status == 200) {
    /* -- Did the request return a result? -- */
    if (this.responseXML != null && this.responseXML.getElementById("stuff").firstChild.data) {
      doSomething(this.responseXML.getElementById("stuff").firstChild.data);
    }
  }
}

var myRequest; // Variable to hold request object

if (window.XMLHttpRequest) {
  myRequest = new XMLHttpRequest(); // Standards-compliant browsers
} else if (window.ActiveXObject) {
  myRequest = new ActiveXObject("Msxml2.XMLHTTP"); // For IE
}

myRequest.onreadystatechange = myHandler;
/* -- "getStuff.php" can be anything that returns an XML file -- */
myRequest.open("GET", "getStuff.php", true);</code>