code: def _xml_escape(data):
      
  
      # ampersand must be replaced first
      from_symbols = '&><"\''
      to_symbols = ('&'+s+';' for s in "amp gt lt quot apos".split())
      for from_,to_ in zip(from_symbols, to_symbols):
          data = data.replace(from_, to_)
      return data
docs: Escape &, <, >, ", ', etc. in a string of data.