Methods and systems for generating and sending an XML document are described. In a specific implementation, methods and systems for responding to an XML client request utilize an XML response generator that includes one or more request method objects. There is one object for each particular type of client request that might be received. Each request method object knows and gathers the data that is needed to respond to its particular associated client request. An emitter object receives calls from the request method object and translates the data that it receives into response portions that are in proper XML syntactic form.