# File lib/sax-machine/sax_document.rb, line 22
    def element(name, options = {})
      options[:as] ||= name
      sax_config.add_top_level_element(name, options)
      
      # we only want to insert the getter and setter if they haven't defined it from elsewhere.
      # this is how we allow custom parsing behavior. So you could define the setter
      # and have it parse the string into a date or whatever.
      attr_reader options[:as] unless instance_methods.include?(options[:as].to_s)
      attr_writer options[:as] unless instance_methods.include?("#{options[:as]}=")
    end