Planned:

v 2.5
 * Test out compatibility with ActiveRecord such that it's easy
   to have both xml & database-sourced objects

 * provide an overridable extension point for the #to_xml-ing of
   values.  This would enable easy accommodation of non-standard formats.
   For example, formatting a number with leading zeros.

 * Ensure (perhaps optionally) that references are unambiguous. That is error/warn
   a singular specification has multiple possible node references

 * Automatically use Date or DateTime for accessors ending in '_on' and '_at', respectively

 * Add xml_in helper to share :in declarations between several attributes. E.g.:

     xml_reader :count, :in => 'Attributes', :as => Integer
     xml_reader :something_else, :in => 'Attributes', :as => Date

  becomes:

    xml_in 'Attributes' do |xml|
      xml.reader  :count, :as => Integer
      xml.reader  :something_else, :as => Date
    end

 * :self => true for sending method_missing to this attribute?

v 3.0
 * remove deprecated functionality

 * Clarify API via seperation of concerns.  :as for Type, :from and :in for location,
   All other options as named options, e.g. :cdata => true rather than :as => :cdata.
   A few not so great examples...:

     xml_reader :some_objce, MyObject
     xml_reader :size, :attr, :as => Integer
     xml_reader :count, :attr, :as => Integer

   become:

     xml_reader :some_object, :as => MyObject
     xml_reader :count, :size, :as => Integer, :from => :attr

   This will significantly simplify the internals and will also cleanly split
   element type, location, name and options, for a more predictable API.

   It also enables multiple declarations on a single call, ala attr_*

     xml_reader :count, :size, :number, :as => Integer, :from => :attr

 * Commandeer #parse to use opposite #from_xml, but in an unrooted, collection-friendly fashion,
   ala HappyMapper's parse

 * Back with http://xml-object.rubyforge.org/doc/ to minimize need for specifications?

 * Use lazy evaluation to minimize parsing time for large files

 * Consider class_inheritable_attribute rather than superclass.try stuff.