code: @SuppressWarnings({ "unchecked", "rawtypes" })
      public static Map<String,Object> xmlToProperties(String strProperties)
      {
          Properties properties = new Properties();
          if ((strProperties != null) && (strProperties.length() > 0))
          {
              strProperties = DTD + strProperties;
              ByteArrayOutputStream baOut = new ByteArrayOutputStream();
              OutputStreamWriter osOut = new OutputStreamWriter(baOut);
              try   {
                  osOut.write(strProperties);     // Char->Byte
                  osOut.flush();
                  baOut.flush();
                  ByteArrayInputStream baIn = new ByteArrayInputStream(baOut.toByteArray());
                  properties.loadFromXML(baIn);
              } catch (IOException ex)    {
                  ex.printStackTrace();
              }
          }
          return (Map)properties;
      }
docs: Load the properties from the string and parse them.
  @return The java properties.