code: def toString( self ):
          
          # convert the element tree information
          from xml.etree import ElementTree
          
          xelem = ElementTree.Element('colorset')
          xelem.set('name', self.name())
          xelem.set('colorGroups', ','.join(self.colorGroups()))
          
          for colorName, colors in self._colors.items():
              xcolor = ElementTree.SubElement(xelem, 'color')
              xcolor.set('name', colorName)
              
              for colorGroup, color in colors.items():
                  xcolorval = ElementTree.SubElement(xcolor, 'value')
                  xcolorval.set('group', colorGroup)
                  xcolorval.set('red',    str(color.red()))
                  xcolorval.set('green',  str(color.green()))
                  xcolorval.set('blue',   str(color.blue()))
                  xcolorval.set('alpha',  str(color.alpha()))
          
          # save the text
          return ElementTree.tostring(xelem)
docs: Saves the color set information out to string format.  The data is \
          returned as xml data.
          
          :return     <str>