code: public static AnnualDate parseXML(String xml) throws ParseException {
  
          if ((xml.length() == 7) && (xml.charAt(0) == '-') && (xml.charAt(1) == '-') && (xml.charAt(4) == '-')) {
              int m1 = toDigit(xml, 2);
              int m2 = toDigit(xml, 3);
              int d1 = toDigit(xml, 5);
              int d2 = toDigit(xml, 6);
              return new AnnualDate(m1 * 10 + m2, d1 * 10 + d2);
          } else {
              throw new ParseException("Not compatible to standard XML-format: " + xml, xml.length());
          }
  
      }
docs: /*[deutsch]
  <p>Interpretiert den angegebenen Text als Jahrestag im XML-Format &quot;--MM-dd&quot;. </p>
  
  @param   xml     string compatible to lexical space of xsd:gMonthDay
  @return  AnnualDate
  @throws  ParseException if parsing fails
  @see     #toString()