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<opt>
  <trans>
    <idnumber1 status="not contacted" assignee="jack" />
  </trans>
</opt>

<opt>
  <trans>
...
    <idnumber2 status="contacted" assignee="jill" />
  </trans>
</opt>

<opt>
  <trans>
    <item id="1" status="not contacted" assignee="jack" />
  </trans>
</opt>

<opt>
  <trans>
...
    <item id="2" status="contacted" assignee="jill" />
  </trans>
</opt>

my $xs = XML::Simple->new(
  forcearray => [ 'item' ], 
...
);

my $opt = $xs->XMLin(\*DATA);

 
  $opt->{trans}->{item}->{1}

  $opt->{trans}->{item}->{2} = { status => 'contacted', assignee => 'j
+ill' };

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

...
  <item id="1" status="not contacted" assignee="jack" />
 </trans>
</opt>

  $opt->{trans}->{item}->[0]

  @{ $opt->{trans}->{item} }

  my $id = @{ $opt->{trans}->{item} } + 1;

  push @{ $opt->{trans}->{item} }, { id => $id, status => 'contacted',
+ assignee => 'jill' };

#!/usr/bin/perl -w

...
  <item id="1" status="not contacted" assignee="jack" />
 </trans>
</opt>