To start out, well need some actual XML to parse. Take a look at the following short example of XML:

XML

<?xml version="1.0" ?>
<zAppointments reminder="15">
    <appointment>
        <begin>1181251680</begin>        
        <uid>040000008200E000</uid>
        <alarmTime>1181572063</alarmTime>
        <state></state>
        <location></location>
        <duration>1800</duration>
        <subject>Bring pizza home</subject>
    </appointment>
</zAppointments>

Python 3.5

import xml.dom.minidom
import urllib.request
class ApptParser(object):
    def __init__(self, url, flag='url'):
        self.list = []
        self.appt_list = []        
        self.flag = flag
        self.rem_value = 0
        xml = self.getXml(url)             
        self.handleXml(xml)
    def getXml(self, url):
        try:
            print(url)
            f = urllib.request.urlopen(url)
        except:
            f = url
        doc = xml.dom.minidom.parse(f)
        node = doc.documentElement        
        if node.nodeType == xml.dom.Node.ELEMENT_NODE:
            print('Element name: %s' % node.nodeName)
            for (name, value) in node.attributes.items():
                print('    Attr -- Name: %s  Value: %s' % (name, value))
        return node
    def handleXml(self, xml):
        rem = xml.getElementsByTagName('zAppointments')        
        appointments = xml.getElementsByTagName("appointment")
        self.handleAppts(appointments)
    def getElement(self, element):
        return self.getText(element.childNodes)
    def handleAppts(self, appts):
        for appt in appts:
            self.handleAppt(appt)
            self.list = []
    def handleAppt(self, appt):
        begin     = self.getElement(appt.getElementsByTagName("begin")[0])
        duration  = self.getElement(appt.getElementsByTagName("duration")[0])
        subject   = self.getElement(appt.getElementsByTagName("subject")[0])
        location  = self.getElement(appt.getElementsByTagName("location")[0])
        uid       = self.getElement(appt.getElementsByTagName("uid")[0])
        self.list.append(begin)
        self.list.append(duration)
        self.list.append(subject)
        self.list.append(location)
        self.list.append(uid)
        if self.flag == 'file':
            try:
                state     = self.getElement(appt.getElementsByTagName("state")[0])
                self.list.append(state)
                alarm     = self.getElement(appt.getElementsByTagName("alarmTime")[0])
                self.list.append(alarm)
            except Exception as e:
                print(e)
        self.appt_list.append(self.list)        
    def getText(self, nodelist):
        rc = ""
        for node in nodelist:
            if node.nodeType == node.TEXT_NODE:
                rc = rc + node.data
        return rc
if __name__ == "__main__":
    appt = ApptParser("appt.xml")
    print(appt.appt_list)

Working with minidom