diff --git a/src/ADIOS.cpp b/src/ADIOS.cpp
index 4ef442c2d4237ae65e59b6abdf6bdf66b8b46278..179c19ced2916506ccff9c40a924f6e802b351b0 100644
--- a/src/ADIOS.cpp
+++ b/src/ADIOS.cpp
@@ -126,29 +126,115 @@ void ADIOS::DumpXMLConfigFile( std::string& xmlFileContent ) const
 
 void ADIOS::SetGroupsFromXML( const std::string xmlFileContent )
 {
-    auto currentPosition = xmlFileContent.find( '<' );
+    //Start with lambda functions
+    auto lfGetValue = []( const char quote, const std::string::size_type& quotePosition,
+                          std::string& currentTag, std::string& value )
+    {
+        currentTag = currentTag.substr( quotePosition + 1 );
+        auto nextQuotePosition = currentTag.find( quote );
+        if( nextQuotePosition == currentTag.npos )
+        {
+            throw std::invalid_argument( "ERROR: Invalid attribute in..." + currentTag + "...check XML file\n");
+        }
+        value = currentTag.substr( 0, nextQuotePosition );
+        currentTag = currentTag.substr( nextQuotePosition+1 );
+    };
+
+    //Get attributes field1="value1" field2="value2" for a single XML tag and
+    //puts it in pairs containers first=field
+    auto lfGetPairs = [&]( const std::string tag, std::vector< std::pair<const std::string, const std::string> >& pairs )
+    {
+        std::string currentTag( tag.substr( tag.find_first_of(" \t\n") ) ); //initialize current tag
+        //currentTag = currentTag.substr( currentTag.find_first_not_of(" \t\n") ); //first field
+
+        while( currentTag.find('=') != currentTag.npos ) //equalPosition
+        {
+            currentTag = currentTag.substr( currentTag.find_first_not_of(" \t\n") );
+            auto equalPosition = currentTag.find('=');
+            const std::string field( currentTag.substr( 0, equalPosition) );  //get field
+            std::string value;
+
+            //if( currentTag.size() < equalPosition+1 ) throw std::invalid_argument( "ERROR: Invalid tag..." + tag + "...check XML file for =\" syntax\n");
+
+            const char quote = currentTag[equalPosition+1];
+            if( quote == '\'' || quote == '"') //single quotes
+            {
+                //quote position?
+                lfGetValue( quote, equalPosition+1, currentTag, value );
+            }
+
+            pairs.push_back( std::pair<const std::string, const std::string>( field, value ) );
+        }
+    };
+
+    auto lfGetPairsFromTag = [&]( const std::string tag, std::vector< std::pair<const std::string, const std::string> >& pairs )
+    {
+        if( tag.back() == '/' ) //last char is / --> "XML empty tag"
+        {
+            lfGetPairs( tag, pairs );
+        }
+        else if( tag[0] == '/' ) // closing tag
+        { }
+        else // opening tag
+        {
+            //check for closing tagName
+            const std::string tagName = tag.substr( 0, tag.find_first_of(" \t\n\r") );
+            const std::string closingTagName( "</" + tagName + ">" );
+
+            if( xmlFileContent.find( closingTagName ) == xmlFileContent.npos )
+                throw std::invalid_argument( "ERROR: closing tag " + closingTagName + " missing, check XML file\n");
+
+            lfGetPairs( tag, pairs );
+        }
+    };
+
+    // ****************************************************************************** ////
+    // Body of function STARTS ****************************************************** ////
+    // ****************************************************************************** ////
+    std::string::size_type currentPosition = xmlFileContent.find( '<' );
 
     std::string currentGroup; // stores current Group name to populate m_Groups map key
+    std::string currentNonEmptyTag;
 
     while( currentPosition < xmlFileContent.size() )
     {
         auto begin = xmlFileContent.find( '<', currentPosition );
-        auto end = xmlFileContent.find( '>', currentPosition );
-        if( begin == std::string::npos || end == std::string::npos )
+        if( begin == xmlFileContent.npos ) break;
+
+        //skip comment sections
+        if( xmlFileContent.find( "<!--", currentPosition ) == begin ) //found comment opening
         {
-            break;
+            auto endComment = xmlFileContent.find( "-->", currentPosition );
+            if( endComment == xmlFileContent.npos ) throw std::invalid_argument( "ERROR: Open comment section, check XML file\n");
+            currentPosition = endComment + 3;
+            continue;
         }
 
-        const std::string xmlItem ( xmlFileContent.substr( begin, end-begin+1 ) );
-        if( xmlItem.find("<!") != std::string::npos ) //check for comments
+        //get and check current tag
+        auto end = xmlFileContent.find( '>', currentPosition );
+        if( end == xmlFileContent.npos ) break;
+        const std::string tag( xmlFileContent.substr( begin+1, end-begin-1 ) ); //without < >
+        if( tag.empty() || tag[0] == ' ' ) throw std::invalid_argument( "ERROR: Empty tag, check XML file\n");
+        //skip header
+        if( tag.find("?xml") == 0 )
         {
-            std::cout << "Comment: ..." << xmlItem << "...\n";
             currentPosition = end + 1;
             continue;
         }
 
+        //get pairs of tag fields and values
+        std::vector< std::pair<const std::string, const std::string> > pairs;
+        lfGetPairsFromTag( tag, pairs );
+
+        std::cout << tag << "\n";
+
+        for( auto& pair : pairs )
+        {
+            std::cout << "field..." << pair.first << "...value..." << pair.second << "\n";
+        }
+        std::cout << "\n";
+
         currentPosition = end + 1;
-        std::cout << "Item: ..." << xmlItem << "...\n";
     }
 }