int nChildren = 8;

    MetadataTreeNode[] children; // of cause

    public int getNChildren() {
        return nChildren;
    }

    public void setNChildren(int children) {
        nChildren = children;
    }

    // ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    public MetadataTreeNode() {}

            if (tree == null) {
                tree = node;
            }

            if (parent != null) {
                parent.setNChildren(1);
                parent.addChild(0, node);
            }

            parent = node;
        }
        return tree;
    }

    public void setClasspath(List<ArtifactMetadata> classpath) {

        while (element.hasChildNodes()) {
            element.removeChild(element.getFirstChild())
        }
        element.appendChild(element.ownerDocument.createTextNode(value))
    }

    public static void setChildren(Node element, Closure cl) {
        while (element.hasChildNodes()) {
            element.removeChild(element.getFirstChild())
        }
        leftShift(element, cl)
    }