help needed returning php using ajax

[sbo1]

[color=blue]I have an AJAX script that returns a variable from a php script. No problem this next snippet works great. Here it is:[/color]


[code]<?php
header("Content-Type: text/xml");
echo "<?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\"?>"; ?>
<!-- here is the XML -->
<totals> <picture><?php echo $picture; ?></picutre> // returns sun.jpg </totals>
[/code]

[color=blue]I get sun.jpg returned. Now here is the problem I want to insert the $picture (i.e sun.jpg) variable so that the result is a hyperlink like this...
[/color]



[code]<picture> <a href="images/<?php echo $picture; ?>"></a> </picutre> //doesn't work[/code]


[color=blue]I try replacing the following signs  < " and > with codes:[/color]




[code]
<picture>&lta href=&quotimages/<?php echo $picture; ?>"&gt&lt/a&gt </picutre>[/code]


[color=blue]but again this does not work. I get nothing returned at all with the above code. I am a newbie at ajax. I have only a cursory knowledge of XML and Javascript. I am sure there is something silly I am doing here. Any clues? Thanks for any help. Steven.[/color]

(edited by a moderator to clean up the code so it wraps)