[xml] Is a document a node? Is there a "virtual root node"?

[Theodore H.Smith <delete elfdata com>]

Hi people,

I am totally new to libxml.

I'm wondering if comments can be added to a new document, via  
xmlCopyNode.

I have an xml document that I want to split up into smaller  
documents. I want to copy all the comments on the root level, though.  
like this:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- hi -->
<root>lots of data...</root>

into this:


<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- hi -->
<root>a little data</root>


<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- hi -->
<root>another little bit of data</root>


Now, this leads me to wonder, whats the best way to copy these  
comments. If the document is also a node, or there is some node that  
owns the XML PI, the "hi" comment and the "root" element, then I'd  
like access to that node. From the struct's appearance, it looks like  
the document can be typecasted into an xmlNode.

Basically, I'd like to do all my work with as few functions as  
possible, so that I can reuse code instead of having to write two  
methods that do basically the same thing, but just one that can work  
on  the "real root node" (the invisible root that owns the PI, the  
visible root and any comments), or any other node.

Otherwise I'd sometimes need to call xmlCopyNode to copy comments,  
and othertimes call xmlNewDocComment! Why use two functions when you  
can use one?