> Sadly it is required by the
> XML standard (why couldn't they just ban '-->', instead of '--' itself?),


Presumably because they wanted to ensure that XML comments were also
always SGML comments. In SGML the rule is

<!-- comment -- not comment -- comment -- not comment -->

Which usually leads to interesting questions about why 
<!-------------
this
--------------->

sometimes works and sometimes doesn't (depending on how long you hold
your finger down on the - key:-)

David


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