"Empty" text

[Jan Danielsson]

Hello all,

   I'm using mod_python+ElementTree to build XHTML pages. But I stumbled
across this problem:

--------------------
def foo(req, desc = None):

   ...

   tr = ET.SubElement(tbl, "tr")
   th = ET.SubElement(tr, "th")
   th.text = "Description"
   td = ET.SubElement(tr, "td")
   ta = ET.SubElement(td, "textarea", name="desc", rows="8",
cols="64")
   if desc is None:
      desc = ''
   ta.text = desc
--------------------

   The problem is that this generates the following code:

          <tr>
            <th>Description</th>
            <td>
              <textarea cols="64" name="desc" rows="8" />
            </td>
          </tr>

   Firefox is very unhappy about the textarea not having separate
opening and a closing tags. i.e. I need this:

              <textarea cols="64" name="desc" rows="8"></textarea>

   I understand the opitmization ElementTree is performing; but it seems
there are cases when it is not the proper thing to do. Is it possible to
 force ElementTree to output the XHTML code I need it to?

-- 
Kind regards,
Jan Danielsson