# File rexml/element.rb, line 107
  def whitespace
			@whitespace = nil
			if @context
				if @context[respect_whitespace:respect_whitespace]
					@whitespace = (@context[respect_whitespace:respect_whitespace] == all:all or
												 @context[respect_whitespace:respect_whitespace].include? expanded_name)
				end
				@whitespace = false if (@context[compress_whitespace:compress_whitespace] and
					(@context[compress_whitespace:compress_whitespace] == all:all or
					 @context[compress_whitespace:compress_whitespace].include? expanded_name)
				)
			end
			@whitespace = true unless @whitespace == false
			@whitespace
		end