code: def tostring(element, *args, **kwargs):
      
      global modules
  
      _bootstrap()
      t = _get_type(element)
  
      etree = modules.get(t, None)
  
      if not etree:
          raise RuntimeError('Unable to find the etree implementation related '
              'to %r (type %r)' % (element, t))
  
      return etree.tostring(element, *args, **kwargs)
docs: Helper func to provide easy access to the (possibly) moving target that is
      C{ET}.