Perl XML::Simple and Data::Dumper - exists in Python?

[Miguel Manso]

Hi there,

I'm a Perl programmer trying to get into Python. I've been reading some 
documentation and I've choosed Python has being the "next step" to give.

Can you point me out to Python solutions for:

1) Perl's Data::Dumper

It dumps any perl variable to the stdout in a "readable" way.

2) Perl's XML::Simple

It maps a XML file into a Perl data structure.

Does Python have something like these two tools? I've been googling 
before posting this and didn't find anything.

Thanks for the help.

-- 
Miguel Manso <mmanso at opalaconsult.com>